Why Usachan fails as a psychologist
by majestic mucus
Summary: HTT needs a drummer. Yui presents her solution, namely Ritsu, to the others. Ritsu and Mio do not start off well, will that change? RitsuxMio
1. Chapter 1

Blame BuRiChiFaN for planting the idea in my head. It just wouldn't leave me alone.

What if Ritsu and Mio did not start off in good terms? Here's my take. And yes, I know that it wasn't very imaginative of me to add the new ed's name as a title. But I don't care! It's so badass!

Tell me if it's good or bad or if I should just crawl under something and die xD

**Disclaimer:** Don't (say lazy!) own K-On!

ENJOY!

* * *

"This was ..."

"An absolute catastrophe." Azusa was the one to voice the group's collective thought. Mentally, they all agreed but Yui, optimistic as always, tried to soften the blow.

"Really? I thought it was great!" Her enthusiasm could be a bit extreme sometimes.

"It wasn't so bad...we just lacked-"

"-the drums." Mugi finished for Mio. They had no rhythm to lead them. This resulted in them slowly falling apart, often making it impossible to reach the end of the songs in one piece.

Houkago Tea Time -their band- was about 3 weeks old. Song ideas were abundant, thanks to the united creativity of Mugi and Mio. All of them knew how to handle their respective instruments. They were friends and trusted each other. They had a teacher from school who supported them..in her own unique way.

Everything should've gone smoothly, except for the tiny little fact that they did not have a drummer, and none of them knew anyone who could play.

The problem weighed heavily on their minds. Not even the cakes or the tea could soothe the group.

Mio looked over at the unused drumkit in the corner. They were in Mugi's house, using the built-in studio as their main practice headquarters. The kit's presence mocked them and served as a constant reminder of what they so desperately needed.

Mugi followed Mio's gaze and noticed the darkening look of her teammate. She tried to distract Mio by offering her a chocolate cake she knew Mio liked and it worked, if only temporarily.

They decided to end practice early. They had important exams coming up and they weren't in the mood for it anyway.

* * *

Yui was proud. With the help of Nodoka, she managed to write a decent test in her opinion. To celebrate her success she called her friend, Ritsu to hang out somewhere. She hadn't talked to Ritsu in a long time, since usually one of them was busy while the other had nothing to do and they did not attend the same school.

Yui met Ritsu at the train station a few months ago while waiting for the delayed train. There was no one else at the station, and a frustrated Yui attacked Ritsu with her complaints of the unfairness of it all. To her surprise during their talking she discovered that they were similar in many aspects and when Ritsu offered the exchange of phone numbers Yui was happy to oblige. New friends were always welcome, and Ricchan proved to be a great one.

They decided to catch up at a small café. One might think that Yui would have enough of all the pastries and tea thanks to Tsumugi's generous provisions but that was not the case. She never got bored of cakes, to imply such a thing would be outrageous!

Yui arrived perfectly on time since she did not want to "upset" the delicious treats-uh I mean, Ritsu. She spotted her friend at one of the tables and headed there. She was welcomed by the other's toothy grin and answered it with one of her own smiles.

"Ricchan!"

"Yui-chan!"

"Ricchan!"

"Yui-chan!"

"RICCHAN!"

"YUIIIII!"

"Could you two please shut up already!" One of the customers snapped. The two in question quieted down a little, earning a relieved sigh from the others in the café.

"So Yui, how's it going?"

Yui actually paused a little with eyebrows drawn in determination to make her announcement more dramatic . "Ricchan, I passed the test!"

"Oooh nice one!" Ritsu's gaze shone with respect.

"How about Ricchan?"

"Well, I don't have any tests right now so it's all good." She sipped her tea contentedly. Yui's eyes wandered to the hand holding the cup and her eyebrows flew up in surprise.

"What happened to your hand?"

"Ah, this? I drummed a lot yesterday so I popped some blisters." She said with light nonchalance. Hearing no reply from Yui, she looked up from her cup to regard the other-

-only to find Yui to be frozen in place.

"Oi, oi! What's with the look? Yui! Snap out of it!" She snapped her fingers in front of the still unresponsive Yui. Suddenly, she sprang back to life with an intensity that startled Ritsu.

"You can play the drums!"

"Yeah, been doing it since elementary school."

"Ricchan!" The mad glint in Yui's eyes was starting to creep her out.

"Are you in a band right now?" She asked the drummer.

"Er, well I'm not in any-"

"Please join our band! We need you!"

"Huh?" She let Yui's words sink in. "Wait, what? You have a band?"

"Yup, and we only need the drummer! Please Ricchan, you'd make all of us so happy!"

"Just how many of you are in the band?"

"Four" Yui answered impatiently, eager for Ritsu's response to her proposal. "So what do you say Ricchan? Will you join?" She grabbed onto Ritsu and started shaking her. "Will you? Will you, Ricchan?"

"Alright, alright. Just let go of me." Yui eased her desperate grip and instead switched to a bone-crushing hug.

"Ricchan, you're the best!"

"You can say that again."

"Only if you buy me that strawberry cake." Ritsu sweatdropped.

"So, when do I start?"

"We have practice tomorrow at Mugi-chan's house."

"Alright, I'll call you tomorrow and we could meet up at the station."

"Great! They're gonna love you, Ricchan!"

Ritsu grinned. Yui's happiness and enthusiasm were infectious. She was excited at the prospect of meeting a whole bunch of new people and hoped she could fit in.

_I'll try my best. Yui, I won't disappoint you!_

_

* * *

_

Later at home Ritsu thought about practicing for tomorrow but then decided that she was skilled enough to skip it altogether. _There's no need to strain myself._

_

* * *

_

On the next day Mugi, Mio and Azusa gathered at Mugi's place. Yui still wasn't there yet, but her tardiness was a common occurance so they did not dwell on it too much, though Azusa voiced her opinion with a small growl of irritation.

Finally, Yui arrived with an ecstatic face, dragging –to the rest's astonishment- an unkown individual by the arm. She marched to the trio wearing a triumphant expression. Ritsu stepped out from behind her, making sure to muster up her friendliest smile.

"Yo!" Her voice rang loud and full of energy.

Azusa stared from Ritsu to Yui. She did not seem to grasp the situation. The same could be said for Mugi and Mio. _'What kind of stupid joke is she trying to pull?'_

"Yui-senpai, what is the meaning of this?" She asked in a somewhat stern tone.

"_This _is Tainaka Ritsu and she said she could help us out!"

"Help us out? With wha-" Azusa was cut off by Ritsu who noticed the lonely drumkit in the corner.

"Whoa! Is that a Yamaha Absolute Series drumkit?" She ran there, seemingly oblivious to the others, sat behind the drums and grabbed the sticks conveniently placed next to the seat. She felt like a kid with a new cool toy and did not hesitate to bang out some solos, testing the potential of the kit.

'_Holy shit, it's awesome!'_

Yui puffed out her chest proudly. She turned to the others to see their reaction, ready to boast about her find.

"She's good isn't she? Huh?" The others did not respond. They still couldn't believe that they finally found a drummer. That Yui found a drummer. It was all too surrealistic. Ritsu stopped her mini-performance and walked back to them with a sheepish face.

"Hehe sorry, I can forget myself sometimes. So, am I in?" Momentary silence, then-

"Thank you for joining us!" Azusa burst out with a dead-serious expression and accompanied it with a deep bow. She was, after all, the one who valued the actual practicing the most, as opposed to the light-hearted cake-consuming activities. Mio came in as a close second.

And so, HTT became complete. They celebrated this with tea and pastries of course, and though Ritsu found this strange at first, she quickly grew to be an avid fan of Tsumugi treats©. Then they practiced by playing the songs first to Ritsu for her to get used to the melodies and craft an underlying rhythm to them. Then Ritsu joined in and to their delight all went fabulously.

It was after some time that things took a turn for the worse.

Ritsu's skin on her hands was still delicate and could not withstand the constant pressure. The skin where the blisters have popped was raw and it did not take much rubbing for the blood to appear. Ritsu noticed this and asked for a timeout to treat her hands.

"What's wrong Ricchan?"

"It's nothing Yui. Remember my hand yesterday? It's bleeding now." There was a shriek, and then silence. Ritsu looked around, panicked. '_Did something happen?' _Her eyes rested on the trembling figure of Mio who was trying to make herself as small as possible, covered her ears with her hands and mumbled incomprehensible things.

'_What's up with her?' _"What's up with her?" Ritsu was a person who spoke her mind.

"Oh, Mio-chan just gets scared easily. Don't worry Ricchan, she'll get over it soon."

"Is that so? Hohoho!" _'So Akiyama-san is a scaredy-cat? This is gonna be fun!' _Ritsu decided to test her, just to be sure of course. She went behind Mio and whispered in her ear.

"Oh no, I have been infected with leprosy! My arm fell off! How am I going to drum with one arm?" The story was ridiculous. But Ritsu was just testing Mio. The result was a high-pitched shriek. The mumbling became clearer.

"Can't see anything, can't hear anything..!"

'_Whoa! She's super sensitive!' _Ritsu thought with amazement. But it was not enough for her. She wanted to drive Mio to her limit. It wasn't that Ritsu was a cruel person. She just behaved like a child many times. In this instance she could be compared to a little boy who caught a fly and decided to dissect it to pieces out of curiosity or something. Yes, it was some kind of morbid fascination. And, like any child, she pursued it without consideration.

She actually paused before her next assault. '_There's no way she would fall for this one. It's too outrageous.'_

"Help, help! Someone cut off my head with a chainsaw! Hey Akiyama, could you please put it back onto my body?"

Mio stopped the mumbling. Her brain was too numb with terror.

'_Just one more.' _"Oi, oi! Help me before I suffocate in my own pool of blood!"

Just as she predicted, Mio snapped. But the outcome was more severe.

"Holy shit! Are you crazy?" Ritsu yelled with her now bleeding nose. She hoped it wasn't broken. Akiyama could really pack a punch. This wasn't some silly little slap, it was a full-blown hit!

Mio saw red. Never in her life has she felt such rage. Probably because no one ever teased her so brutally. Yui just wasn't like that. Azusa admired her senpai too much to cause her any kind of discomfort. Mugi found Mio's reactions cute but she respected her enough not to pursue the cuteness for her own enjoyment.

"Crazy! CRAZY? I was frightened to death and you kept on pushing me! You sadistic idiot!"

"You freakin' punched me in the nose!"

"You deserved it!"

Ritsu started to shout back her reply but stopped when an idea popped into her head.

"Hey Akiyama, look what you did! My nose is bleeding like hell! There's blood all over the floor!"

"LEAVE ME ALONE!"

They stopped fighting after a while, but on the next practice session and the rest after that they would jump at each other's throats again and again. The rest of the band got used to it and did not confront the two about it, mainly because they did not want to get caught in the crossfire. It was best to leave them alone and let them sort it out by themselves. Yui even viewed it as a completely natural thing. When one day Azusa asked her about it-

"Aren't they going to kill each other if this goes on?"

-Yui replied with "Don't worry Azunyan, they're just expressing their love."

"You can be really absurd sometimes, Yui-senpai." Azusa thought with a bewildered face.

Ritsu couldn't resist bugging Mio but couldn't handle Mio's comeback (usually a hit or an insult) so they'd start yelling again. Mio grew bitter towards Ritsu and made sure to throw in some jibes, usually by criticizing her playing.

"We did well today, didn't we?" Questioned Mugi in her usual light, pleasant tone.

The rest were about to agree but Mio overtook them.

"The drumming was too fast."

"Oh yeah? Well, I can't let you slack off , can I? Otherwise you'd gain even more weight."

"Are you calling me fat?"

"Listen, Akiya-"

"No, you listen! Just shut up and listen to me for once! You always ignore whatever I have to say and just cut in with some stupid prank or something!"

Ritsu faked a yawn.

"Don't you dare joke around! You have no idea how uncomfortable you're making me with all th-"

"Oh look! A huge moth!"

"WHAT?" Mio tried to calm herself. "Ugh see? You're doing it again!" Her face was red with anger.

"Love it when you're feisty." Ritsu said with a wink.

"Enough! Enough!"

And so it went.

* * *

It was Friday.

Mio sat in class, watching the heavy rain outside with a melancholic expression. Even after class she did not move, but continued to stare with a dull gaze. Yui wandered over to her, worried for Mio's wellbeing.

"What's wrong Mio-chan?"

"It's raining and I have to meet with that...that madman."

Yui looked at her sympathetically. It was no secret that Mio had many admirers, but this one was particularly obsessed with her. He was a fanatic, and fanatical people always possessed an underlying madness which made them unpredictable and dangerous. He stalked Mio and constantly kept asking her out on a date. Mio always refused, but started to be afraid of him and feared where her constant rejections would push him. What if he snapped and decided to harm her? _'Who hasn't heard about Lennon John-san's tragic end?'_

Her friends also worried for her safety. They advised her to go on one date with him and try –very gently- to explain to him that she was not returning his feelings and would like him to stop following her. They also told her to make sure she had her mobile with her, and the police's number on speed-dial.

So Mio set up a date with the fan who was ecstatic. They agreed to meet and spend their date at an art exhibition that opened not long ago. The painter was one of Mio's favourites, and besides, an exhibition was always packed with people. Hopefully he would not try anything drastic there.

But the place itself was far and Mio forgot to bring her umbrella. She did not have time to go home for it, that would mean being late for her date and that was something she was not going to risk. There's no reason to make him upset right at the start.

"What am I to do, Yui?" It was meant as a rhetoric question so she was surprised when Yui actually answered.

"Why don't you ask Ricchan to give you a ride? She has a car." Yui readied her mobile to call Ritsu.

"No way in hell." But Mio knew that unless she wanted to arrive at the exhibition looking like a soaked rat she had no other choice. It was mainly her pride keeping her back. So, after mulling over it for the tenth time she gave in. She thought Ritsu would reject her favour, but was surprised when Ritsu did agree to drive her there.

It was going to be a tough afternoon.


	2. Chapter 2

And so it continues!

You may notice that there is no Fuwa Fuwa Time or Pure Pure Heart, etc. That's because those lyrics are quite obviously loaded with affection, feelings, love and whatnot. Not to mention NO, Thank You! She practically says "aishiteru" there, which is a big step up from some "suki" or something. So, I believe those lyrics are about Ritsu (as any Mitsu supporter should). But since here they have only met recently, she still cannot draw upon love to inspire those lyrics.

But, the songs **will **come. All in due time.

Feedback is welcome! And thanks to all reviewers, anonymous reviewers and all readers! Thank you!

ENJOY

* * *

Yui told Mio that Ritsu would pick her up at the main entrance of their school. Sure enough Ritsu arrived in a few minutes.

"So who's the poor bastard?" Ritsu's effort to start a conversation was rewarded with a hit.

"None of your business!"

"Does he know your true colours? After all, only a madman would be able to date the Dangerous Queen." Mio completely deflated upon hearing 'madman'. She did not bother to reply, and instead stared out of the window, brooding. Ritsu actually felt a little guilty, but had no idea why Mio didn't behave as usual.

Mio needed a distraction. Her thoughts were straying on territories that made her want to run home and hide under her blanket. But she had to resolve this. There was no running away now. Especially not in front of Ritsu. That would be a serious injury to her pride.

"So, where's the date? Probably at some fancy restaurant."

"It's going to be at an art exhibition."

"Psh! How boring!" Mio scowled.

When they reached their destination, Ritsu parked the car. Mio reluctantly thanked her for the ride to which Ritsu answered that it was no problem and that all should go _splendid _if Mio'd just treat the guy the same way she treats Ritsu. Then the poor fool would realise who he was dealing with and have enough time to run away. Needless to say, the bassist reacted none too kindly.

Said bassist got out of the car and was surprised to see that Ritsu also got out. '_She probably wants some fresh air or something.'_

But then Ritsu followed her right into the building where the exhibition took place.

"What are you doing?"

"Are you kidding me? There's always free food at these places!"

'_Figures.' _Mio rolled her eyes. She scanned the place, and to her displeasure the stalker was already there. She headed his way with small, hesitant steps. Even though she disliked Ritsu she wished she was there. Unfortunately for her the other girl was busy somewhere in search of nutrients. She reached into her pocket for her mobile phone, only to find that it wasn't there. Maybe it fell out while she was riding in Ritsu's car. '_Shit!'_

Stalker-san was a fanatic, not a blind man. He saw Mio's momentarily panicked face.

"Is there something wrong, Mio-chan?"

She wanted to blurt out that yes, there is a major problem. She was stuck with a potentially dangerous stranger and could not even use her mobile to call for help. Thankfully, as she predicted, many people participated in the event and so hopefully she was safe.

'_Might as well start now.'_ She thought, and took a deep breath.

"Listen, Kouta-san-" her voice shook. It took so much effort to speak. It was as if her tongue was made of lead. She felt dizzy and tired.

"-I know about your feelings. But I can't return them. I don't think I'll ever be able to do such thing. This is the reason why I called you here. I can't take it anymore." So much for operation 'reject him gently'. Kouta too seemed to think that it was a bit blunt, for his face contorted into a grotesque mask of rage and hurt. Mio's pleading and frightened eyes just fueled his anger. He felt insulted. He felt abandoned. He felt as if she had stabbed him in the heart.

All he could think about was to return the favour. To make her experience this maddening pain. Reaching a hand into his pocket he pulled out a switchblade, ready to use it.

Mio didn't have time to scream for help.

* * *

Ritsu was happily sampling the food at one of the tables. Out of a sudden her mobile phone rang in her pocket. It was Yui.

"Hey Ricchan! Did you manage to take Mio-chan to that place?"

"Hi Yui. Yup, I did. I feel sorry for the guy though, I'm sure he'll get a headache from dealing with Mio. Happens to me all the time."- then Ritsu lowered her voice to a whisper-"I think she's on her period or something. She acted even weirder than usual."

"Poor Mio-chan must be scared. I'd be so afraid of having to deal with Stalker-san."

'_Wait a minute...' "_Stalker-san?_"_

"Oh, didn't she tell you? One of her fans turned out to be a stalker. That guy is so creepy! He always tries to ask Mio-chan out on a date. Her plan was to reject him today._"_

'_Oh my God! Akiyama you idiot! Why didn't you tell me anything?' _"Gotta run Yui, I'll talk to you later!" Without bothering to wait for a reply Ritsu snapped her phone shut.

'_I have to find them before something bad happens.' _ She frantically scanned the crowd, but stopped all of a sudden. '_Wait a minute...why do I care about what's going to happen to her? Maybe she's having a blast with that guy.' _Ritsu was frustrated with herself. '_You baka! Would you have fun with someone who stalked you 24/7? That's just way too creepy. And we're talking about Mio here- she's probably trembling like a leaf right now.' _That gave her a bad feeling. Mio wanted to reject that ass, right? Ritsu would just go and give her a little push since she was sure Mio wouldn't be able to do it herself. That girl is so helpless sometimes.

After a while of searching she spotted them near a corner and things weren't looking good at all. Mio was close to tears and the bastard looked ready to strangle someone. It didn't take much brainpower to figure out that a storm was brewing so Ritsu sprinted there as fast as she could, carelessly knocking away any guest who happened to be in her way.

Nearing the pair, light glinted off an object in a flash. '_A knife!' _She had to do something, fast.

_Mio didn't have time to scream for help._

Ritsu's scream was faster. Just as she hoped, it distracted the man and gave her precious seconds. It also drew attention to them. So first things first, she dove for the arm that held the blade.

Ritsu winced- in the process of trying to disarm the bastard she got a minor cut, but it was nothing serious. She battled with the fan on the floor, each hoping to gain the upper hand. Ritsu hollered at the onlookers who kept on watching without helping her.

"Someone call the police! He's armed!" '_Idiots! I can't keep him down forever.' _

From the corner of her eye she saw Mio, who seemed frozen. Another quick cut to her bicep turned her focus back again to her struggle. It was then that people from the crowd started to wake up from their stupor and some of the guests went to Ritsu's rescue. The numbers were in her favor now, and the people easily wrestled the fan off her. They kept a secure hold on him till the arrival of the police, who then cuffed him and lead him away from the scene. Then they took in the account of witnesses. One of them headed for Mio who was still staring off into empty space. Ritsu intercepted him. She asked him not to interview Mio now and ask questions from her instead.

"I'll tell you all I know, just leave her alone for now,ne? She seems shaken up a bit." A bit was an understatement. At the officer's doubtful look, she added "Look, if it's so important you can bother her tomorrow. I'm sure she'll give clearer answers after some rest. Please." There was a reluctant nod, and then some queries. Ritsu answered them as best she could. But she was tired too. So much has happened in such a short time.

Finally, the officer left. Ritsu walked over to Mio and tried to put on a toothy grin. God, she felt drained.

"Lighten up Akiyama! You look like hell and I haven't even started bugging you yet." Mio managed a half-hearted glare. She was exhausted too. Ritsu doubled her efforts. "Aww aren't we grumpy today!" She said as if speaking to a baby, and pulled on Mio's cheeks like an affectionate grandma. But this was no wrinkled, kind old lady, this was Ritsu so the only thing she ignited in Mio was a hefty dose of annoyance.

"Back off!"

"Is that how you rejected him? No wonder he went ballistics." She regretted saying that the moment it left her mouth, but couldn't help it. She felt even more guilty seeing Mio's expression. The bassist looked hurt.

"Damn, I went too far this time, didn't I? Gomen ne." Mio didn't respond.

"Aw come on! ...I'll buy you a hot chocolate or something!" She was rewarded with a hopeful look.

"Really?"

'_Moe moe kyun!' _"Sure."

* * *

They got into Ritsu's car. It was then that Mio noticed Ritsu's bicep wound for the first time.

"Your arm!" She panicked. Her aversion to blood came from a childhood trauma. Once, in elementary school, her class went on a trip to a small, local factory that specialised in making several kinds of paints. Some kids were fooling around and one of them got knocked against a shelf full of cans. One of the cans fell on the child and sprayed it's contents all over him. His shriek made Mio turn her head towards the sound, and she was treated to the sight of a kid bathing in blood...or so it seemed. Even though she realised it was paint, the image etched itself into her memory forever.

"Yeah that's what happens when someone parts your skin with a blade." Mio looked ready to vomit, but she also felt guilty. Ritsu practically saved her life. And what did she get in return? Nothing.

"Ne, Ritsu-"

Ritsu was surprised. Mio has never called her by her first name before."What?"

"Thank you. For saving me." There. It was hard, but she said it. And the other deserved so much more. A thanks was the least she could give.

Ritsu smiled. "Well, it looks like you'd be better off hiding your mean side. I bet you'd have more luck with boys. I mean, no one likes abuse, you know?"

"You annoying midget!" Ritsu laughed.

She stopped the car next to the café that she and Yui visited frequently. Surely they had some good hot chocolate here.

They went up to the counter and Ritsu ordered two of the hot drinks. She then started to rummage in her pocket.

"Oops!"

"What is it?"

"I forgot to bring money." Ritsu grinned sheepishly. Mio sighed, but paid for the drinks.

"You're hopeless." '_Even though I shouldn't be the one saying that. I forgot my mobile in her car after all...'_

After finishing their drinks, Ritsu drove Mio home. Mio thanked her one more time and asked Ritsu not to mention what happened to the others. There was no need to worry them unnecesarily since everything turned out fine.

* * *

The school's festival was nearing and with the help of Nodoka and Sawako-sensei, the HTT crew managed to secure their first live performance. They were planning to do Cagayake!Girls and –after much persuasion managing to convince Mio to sing a song too- Don't Say Lazy. Practices became more and more frequent and lasted longer even through Yui and Ritsu's valiant efforts of sabotage. Their failed attempts did not make them lose hope, however, and finally help came from an unexpected source, otherwise known as Mio's inspiration. That's right, the chief songwriter of the group had a sudden impulse to write a new song. But in her current enviroment this was impossible. Even now, the constant whining of the lazy pair drove her up the wall. She still remembered the golden days when Yui did not have a partner in crime and therefore was much more compliant and subdued. Sure, Yui would wear an artfully crafted "kicked puppy" face back then, but Mio'd just turn the other way and all would be good again. Even if Yui did actually complain, the combined efforts of the other three would overpower her ambitions.

But now...it was like letting loose two puppies to play with each other. God knows Yui and Ritsu could bark and whine like one. Knowing that they had the other to watch their back, the duo grew frighteningly bold. And they could go on forever. Should one finally calm down and act normal like a civilised person, the other would immediately push for another idiocy, dragging the previously calm one back into either laziness or craziness.

This is why Mio needed an escape. Now. If she waited too long,

*the sudden burst of inspiration might just flutter away like a white dove, gently flapping it's wings, and the bassist would mourn the loss and forever question the "what-ifs" of a masterpiece that could've led HTT into Budokan itself-*

"Stop narrating!" Mio screamed at Ritsu who ran back behind the safety of her drumkit, giggling all the while. Yui watched on, and decided to have some fun too by staring wide-eyed at Azusa. Her "master plan" was to unnerve the kouhai. Azusa was tuning her guitar when a shiver of unease ran up her spine and sure enough, when she turned there was Yui, staring at her with an indescribable look. Azusa tried to cling to the mantra she kept repeating in her head. '_She's just looking for a reaction. Don't let her get to you, don't let Yui get to you. She'll tire out eventually. She'll g-_oh no, she's still staring at me! – _Ok, take a deep breath and rela-'_

Yui decided to go to the next level and pushed her face close so that the tip of her nose almost touched Azusa's. The kouhai blushed a vibrant red and was about to explode. '_I...I can't..I can't take this...oh, Yui-senpai!' _Azusa was on the verge of giving in, though she had no idea what was she submitting herself to. Azusa liked to rely on her instincts.

Mugi was having the time of her life. The little voyeur!

Yui did not expect this to work so well! The effect she had on Azunyan surprised her. Yui decided to use this to her advantage- once on television she saw a show in which a guy hypnotized people and got them to do whatever he wanted. The expression of the victims matched Azusa's, so maybe Yui had hypnotized her? Then, would Azunyan subject to her commands? Only one way to find out...

"Ne, Azunyan? Close your eyes." Yui lowered her voice to a soft murmur as she had seen the man do on tv, so as to avoid breaking the fragile trancelike state. And miraculously, the kouhai's eyes disappeared behind her eyelids.

'_Whoa! It worked! Now I can ask anything!'_

"Azunyan-" she continued in the same lowered voice that could've been considered _innocently_ _sensual _in any other situation.

"-I want you-" Here, Azusa practically purred in response. Or maybe it was just Mugi.

"-to give me your strawberry cake." Yui finished, and tensely awaited the result to her first mind-controlling experience.

Poor Azusa was very disoriented. It took her some seconds to process what Yui said. "...What?"

"Your cake, Azunyan!" Yui stated as if it were obvious. "You haven't touched it yet and it will go to waste if you leave it like that!" What a blasphemy would that be! Fear not, yummy cakes! Saint Hirasawa Yui, protector of treats-that-shan't-go-to-waste has arrived! We're saved!

"...You want me to give you my cake?"

"Wow you're slow today Azunyan." Yui being the one saying that was...embarassing. But Azusa did not care. What the hell was Yui-senpai playing at!

"Your cake. Strawberry cake. On the table. You. Not. Eat. Cake. Me. Eat. Cake?" Yui articulated as best she could and added some elaborate gesticulation too, as if she were speaking to a foreigner.

Azusa couldn't take this any longer. She let out a scream of frustration. Yui jumped in surprise. There was no need to yell, was there? Azunyan was acting strange. Maybe it was that time of the month for her too.

"Azunyan, if you wanted to eat it you could've told me so. There's no need to shout." However, the kouhai's passion amazed Yui. Finally someone who respected cakes as much as she did! Azunyan was ready to defend the cake's honor with a battlecry! She already felt sorry for treating the kouhai like ...like an English or something. Azunyan was just trying to save the dessert too.

"Aww Azunyan, you're a hero!" She hugged the smaller girl.

Azusa decided to just ignore everything that happened. The events were beyond her capability to understand.

As much as Ritsu's narration irritated Mio, it did have some good points in it. She did not want to forget the potential song material. This is why she announced that she had to go to the beach on Saturday. The crew was happy. Azusa and Mugi were excited about the prospect of a new addition to their repertoire, while Yui and Ritsu were happy for other reasons...but happy nevertheless.

"You guys can practice without me."

The two sister-in-arms' faces fell. Immediately, they began to protest.

"Mio-chan, we can't play without you! It wouldn't feel the same!"

"Yeah Akiyama, I need you!" Everyone went slack-jawed at the sudden declaration. Ritsu continued, ignoring their astonished faces.

"I have a rare brain disfunction and I can't play in a band unless I hear soundwaves lower than 90 Hz otherwise I go ballistic! If the bass is missing, I'm doomed!" The group's collective thought was '_How can she say all that with a straight face?'_

Mio skeptically raised an eyebrow _'Rare brain disfunction...she got that one right.'_

"I see that no one believes me. I shall prove you wrong...even if it's at the cost of my own sanity!" Ritsu struck a "suffering heroine" pose. Watching those crappy dramas paid off.

"Yui, play something!"

"Mm!" Yui, the ever helpful one and Ricchan's loyal partner in crime did not hesitate to belt out some good tones on Gitah. Immediately, Ritsu began to shiver.

"Oh noo I can't take it anymore! Garrgghrgh" Ritsu thrashed on the ground. Only the foam from her mouth was missing. And maybe a straitjacket. Perhaps Sawako-sensei could provide that next time.

The scene was so ridiculous, what with Yui still playing as if giving background music to the supposedly insane "heroine" rolling around on the floor. Said heroine switched between grimaces every second. Mio snapped. She laughed so hard that tears came to her eyes. It definitely wasn't one of her usual shy/polite giggles. And it was more honest too.

Ritsu appreciated honest happiness. That's why, even though Mio's laugh was loud and weird yet strangely unique, it was one of the most beautiful things she has ever heard.

"Alright, alright, you win." Mio said between her fits of joy. "We can have a free day. We deserved it." Mugi and Azusa nodded in agreement, obviously pleased. The other two surprised Mio with a massive bear hug. Then, not wanting anyone to be left out, the duo gave hugs to Mugi and Azusa too. Mugi was delighted, Azusa just thought she should go with the flow. That way hopefully she won't get into another weird situation like the one earlier before. '_What_ _a strange day.'_

_

* * *

_

Mio was sitting on a train heading straight to the seashore. Her stormy grey eyes reflected the sky's color. She had a notebook with her and a small recorder should ideas strike. The train's steady rocking was slowly lulling her to sleep and the bassist submitted herself to the pull. The sky narrowed into blackness as she closed her eyelids and let waves of soft dreams wash over her tired mind.

It was some time later that reality penetrated through her thick, smooth dream and pierced Mio. Sound, to be more precise. Or irritating noise, if you asked the bassist.

Rhythmic. Threads of the noise wound together in a _beat._ Mio reacted by unconsciously adding a bass line to it in her head and nodding along.

At one point she forgot herself enough to start humming, the beat leading her on. Then suddenly it stopped and a voice resonated instead. An oddly familiar voice.

"Hey that melody was pretty cool!"

Mio leaned over and took a peek at the seat behind her. The owner of said seat also looked up and their gazes met.

Ritsu seemed just as surprised as she was. Then the drummer put on a panicked face and grabbed a bag of snacks from the seat next to her.

"Holy shit! It's Akiyama! Do not pester me, demon!" Ritsu threw some snacks at Mio to accentuate her point, trying to ward away the "demon".

"Why you little!" Mio's dreams of a peaceful Saturday shattered in an instant. The bassist thought that she would get some relaxing time, away from HTT, away from the chaotic duo's annoyances. She had no such luck. '_Oh God, why does this happen to me?'_

"Arrgh the demon is too strong! We need holy water!" Ritsu took out her water bottle with a nasty grin.

Mio barely had enough time to yell "Don't you dare!" before the water splashed onto her face, soaking half of her T-shirt too.

"Ah gomen, my hands slipped. It's the drumming. Makes 'em shaky sometimes."

"Tainakaaaaa!" Oh yes, the vengeful banshee has awakened. It was a short-lived thing though.

"Would you please quiet down miss? If you continue this behaviour, I'll have to ask you to leave this train."

Mio's face burned. "Yessir. I apologise."

Ritsu peeked out from behind the man and stuck out her tongue at Mio. The bassist may have abandoned her vengeful banshee status, but she remained an avenger and was already formulating a plan in her head. As soon as the man left, she leaped into action.

Mio had also brought snacks. She furiously snapped open a pack.

"Have a taste of your own medicine!" Cheese flavoured projectiles launched at the drummer and hit the target spot on. Mio did not pause.

"Those snacks are quite salty, I'm sure you're thirsty by now! " And emptied the contents of her iced green tea onto the other girl.

Ritsu was a sore loser. This did not count as a game anymore, she was dead serious. Her face set itself into an angry scowl.

"I hope you know what you're getting yourself into, _princess._"

And so, the battle of snack-hurling began. Luckily they had no more drinks on them, otherwise they'd be emptying bottles with no reserve. The girls lost all common sense, and did not even notice the havoc they were creating. The ticket inspector did notice, however, and immediately ordered the two to leave the train at the next stop.

The next stop was a small one in the middle of nowhere. Things couldn't have been better. Both felt like strangling the other.

"This is all your fault!"

* * *

**And so, they're stuck in the middle of nowhere! But at least they're not alone xD**


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3! Thanks for the positive feedback! I hope you like this chappie too!

Mild swearing, but I think we can handle that.

ENJOY!

* * *

"This is all your fault!"

"Mine? I wasn't the one who started hurling food at the other for no reason!"

"Oh I had a reason alright, Akiyama. Your constant abuse has triggered something in my nerves! My body just went on automatic self-defense mode!"

"Self-defense? I haven't even hit you yet! But if you continue spewing nonsense I just might let my arm twitch."

"Haven't hit me yet? So you call that falcon punch an angel's touch?"

"It's your fault for provoking me! And you're the one who started the food fight!"

"But I wasn't the one who drew all the attention by screaming! See, you need to do these things with finesse. The guy didn't even notice me. As for you..."

"Urgh!" And unsurprisingly they were bickering again. Few minutes later it began to rain. It cooled them down a little...or maybe a lot. Ritsu had a jacket to protect her but Mio was dressed more lightly and her body started to shiver.

Even after they went into the small station's waiting room (it's a small wonder there even was one) the damage has already been done and the soaked Mio trembled like a leaf. Ritsu tried to ignore it, she really did. But Mio had this ability to look utterly vulnerable, and it was a look that could make one weak in the knees. Perhaps that's why Ritsu teased her relentlessly. She just sought to draw that expression out of the bassist.

Even now, resistance was futile. So she took pity on the other girl and with a fluid movement draped her jacket over the unsuspecting Mio, who jumped a little at the sudden act and warmth. It was now Ritsu's turn to fight against the cold, as she only had a T-shirt under the jacket. The drummer tried to put up a tough front but failed miserably. Mio was a bit stumped by the kind gesture, especially since it was a disadvantage to the drummer, who was now obviously freezing (but with a proud face).

"I..um, you shouldn't have done that. You must be cold."

"Hahh this? This is nothing. I am a drummer! All the excess energy will warm me up."

The bassist had to smile. Even in the short time of knowing her, Ritsu was Ritsu, unmistakably so. She fit in well with the rest of them. Each member had their own unique personalities.

"You have goose bumps." Mio pointed out.

"What are you talking about?"

Mio ran her finger up Ritsu's arm to prove it. "See?"

"Uhh yeah ok." Luckily Ritsu's arm was already overloaded with goose bumps, otherwise the bassist's touch would've ignited a dozen more.

Ritsu's arm muscles were tense from the cold (and maybe something else too), and Mio couldn't pull her eyes away from them as they lay taut underneath the skin. Her arms seemed strong and yet they retained a delicacy that was unmistakably feminine.

The bassist shook her head a little to snap out of it. She had to focus on the issue at hand.

"Listen, neither of us should freeze to death. How about we share it?" She illustrated her point by draping one side over Ritsu's shoulders. The drummer was about to protest but after feeling the warmth of the jacket the words died in her throat.

"Eh..um, thanks."

"It's your jacket silly. I should be the one thanking you."

"Right. Bow, peasant!"

Mio's arm twitched for a second. "You're going too far."

"We should check some information about the next train."

"But it's raining. Let's wait a little, hopefully it'll stop soon."

And so they waited. Surprisingly the time passed on in silence, the atmosphere calm and comfortable. At this moment Mio was unable to comprehend how they have fought so much. She felt incredibly at peace with her body surrounded by warmth, the chill cooling her face and the drummer's unique scent seeping into her nose lazily, clouding her mind like a drug. She felt herself inhale deeply. Ritsu looked at her with a raised eyebrow to which Mio blushed, embarrassed by being caught. To her surprise, the other girl did not act on the opportunity to tease her and instead turned her nonchalant gaze back to the rainclouds as if trying to will them to go away.

Come to think of it, Ritsu always seemed completely at ease. Even in a situation like this, what with them being stuck in the middle of nowhere, it seemed as if Ritsu was still completely in control of everything. In fact, the only time Mio has seen Ritsu lose her cool was when the bassist decided to put her in place...or in other words, to retaliate to her teasing when she went overboard. Did that mean that only she was able to elicit that response from Ritsu? Did that make her...different? Dare she say, special? Was Mio overanalyzing everything now, unused to the sudden change of pace between them?

'_I think I'm going to have a headache...'_

Ritsu was the one to speak first."The rain has stopped. Let's go check the railway guide."

Mio was deep in her thoughts so she jumped a little from the sudden break in silence. "Alright."

The jumble of information on the board was written in tiny letters and numbers. Also, thanks to the weather's constant beating and the local hooligans, about half of the board was unreadable. Luckily the details of their train weren't hidden. But they had to wait one hour for it's arrival.

They sauntered back to the waiting room because at least in there they were protected from the harsh wind. After about five minutes of waiting, entertainment arrived in the form of a man. With a gigantic afro. He seemed out of place in the small deserted station.

Ritsu leaned over to Mio with a mischievous smile."Hey, do you still have some snacks left? We could try throwing them into his afro. Bet he wouldn't notice."

Mio tried to look disapproving but it was only half-hearted, as she too found the idea amusing. "You're so irresponsible. Besides, there's no way I'd have some left, I wasted all of them on you."

"You're hopeless." Ritsu said with a deep sigh.

"I won't listen to that coming from you especially since I'm sure you're also out of snacks."

"Maybe. Guess we'll have to improvise!" She dug out a tissue from her pocket.

"Please don't tell me you're planning to go through with that."

"Fine, I won't tell you. Just watch this." Ritsu walked to the window across them. The window stood inbetween the two HTT members and the afro guy who had his back turned to the girls. The drummer opened the window, and even though the guy did not react to that, she stated loudly for good measure "It's sooo stuffy in here! I need some fresh air!"

'_With a declaration like that he's bound to be unsuspicious.' _Mio thought sarcastically. Ritsu sat next to her, draping her half of the jacket back onto her shoulder. She tore the tissue to small pieces and shaped mini-projectiles out of them.

"So, are you sure you don't wanna join in?"

"Wouldn't dream of spoiling your fun."

Ritsu shrugged. "Alright, it's your choice." And with a quick flick of her wrist she launched the first white missile. It landed right in the middle of his bushy hair. He didn't seem to notice anything at all. Ritsu was grinning openly now. Mio tried to hold back her smile.

The drummer continued flicking tissue pieces at the man. Her aim was good enough, she had practiced it a lot in class. But suddenly the bassist bumped into her with a sneeze. Instead of landing in his hair, the projectile changed course and grazed an ear. The guy did feel that, and he looked around, trying to spot the source. His gaze landed on the two girls in the waiting room. The drummer met his stare head on with a completely innocent expression. The other was on the verge of laughing and tried to stifle it by burying her face into the collar of the jacket. Afroman looked even more ridiculous in frontal view, white tissue décor and all.

The man raised an eyebrow. Ritsu mirrored him.

"What? Never seen someone laugh after a good joke?" Ritsu draped an arm around Mio's shoulders like good friends do. "Let it all out, Mio. It's not healthy to keep it in!" She did not have to tell her twice. The bassist burst out laughing, no longer hiding behind the collar.

Ritsu patted Mio on her head. "Good girl."

The guy turned away from them. Mio eventually calmed down. She whispered to the drummer, mindful of the still open window and the subject of their conversation standing not so far from them. "I'm just surprised you could keep a straight face while looking at...at.. that." Mio giggled.

"Yeah well, I had to keep our cover ne,dear best friend?" With her arm still around the bassist, she gave the other girl's shoulder an affectionate squeeze.

'_Ritsu and me? Best friends?' _That train of thought sparked another round of laughter from Mio.

Ritsu was grinning like an idiot."What's the problem? Can't picture it?" She asked in a mock hurt voice.

"Yeah sure! Like you coming over to my house at least once a week?" Now Ritsu was laughing too.

"Hanging out every weekend!" Ritsu added.

"Comforting each other? Sharing our deepest secrets!"

"You helping me with study sessions!"

"Watching live concerts on DVDs!"

"Hey I wanted to say that one! Then, then how about this? You visiting me when I'm sick!"

"And...and me staying there and holding your hand till you fall asleep!"

"Aahahaha good one! That's just so ridiculous!"

"Getting jealous over each other's new friends?"

"Nah, I'm not that clingy." Ritsu denied.

The man was starting to fear the girls. Were they mad? They've been laughing like crazy. Maybe they were on drugs or something. '_Kids these days...'_ He made sure to scoot over to the far end of the small station.

"Hey Ritsu," Mio began timidly "I have to admit you're not as bad as I thought. ...Looks like even you can behave normally sometimes." She said with a small smile.

"Right back at you, Mio-chuan. So, does that mean we'll start doing all the things we mentioned before?" She asked with a cheeky grin. Mio playfully slapped her on the shoulder.

"Moving a bit fast, aren't you?"

"Am I? Then, at least we could try the 'you helping me study' part. That sounds quite interesting to me."

"Don't push your luck."

"Yes, ma'am! Hey, there are supposedly 10 minutes left till the arrival of our train!"

"Oh, that's good!" Suddenly something clicked in Mio's head. "Wait a minute, you have a car don't you? Why use the train?"

"The car is my mom's, I just borrow it every once in a while."

"I see."

Ritsu yawned, then promptly rested her head on Mio's shoulder. The bassist reacted amazingly fast.

"What do you think you're doing?" She did not forget to add a vibrant blush too.

"Geez, you're so shy."

"...That's not true!" But her protest did not ring strong.

"Oh, really? Then, how about I hug you right now?"

Mio yelped.

"I refuse!"

"Hehe I'll give you one anyway!" And Ritsu attacked. The bassist defended valiantly but the drummer was very persistent. Eventually Mio handled the energetic Ritsu with a good hit. It never failed to work. She waited for the drummer's outburst, ready to take her on. The girl did seem to open her mouth to yell, but halfway she decided that she was too tired to start another round of bickering between them, and closed her mouth with a snap. Instead she emitted cute whiny noises, clutching the bump on her forehead.

Mio was surpised that Ritsu backed down. The other girl made another brave effort to lay her head on Mio's shoulder, and the bassist thought that if Ritsu could restrain herself from yelling then so could she, and let the drummer do as she pleased.

Much to their pleasure, the train arrived on time and before they knew it, they were heading back home.

* * *

Meanwhile, the other three members were having a get together at Yui's place. Azusa was glad that finally she could have a refreshing conversation with Ui, whom she deemed as a 'normal' person. Yui, of course, did not belong into that category. As for Mugi...well she was a very kind and cute person, but sometimes she would catch the blonde staring at Yui and her in a way that creeped her out. At first, she thought it was just a trick of her eyes, but as time passed by she found herself being the target of Tsumugi's look more often than not. Azusa was not a stupid girl, so she could immediately draw the conclusion that Mugi was just not 'normal'. Something was up with her.

Something.

"Azusa-chan, are you alright?" Ui asked with a concerned expression.

"Yeah sorry, I just spaced out a little."

"Perhaps your tea wasn't sweet enough?"

"No, Mugi-senpai, there is nothing wrong with the tea. It's delicious." Azusa smiled at Mugi, who beamed.

"By the way, why isn't Ritsu-senpai here?"

"Ricchan couldn't come because she said she had to visit her aunt. She's living in a village by the sea."

"Didn't Mio-san also go to the beach today?" Asked Ui, knowing that the reason for their break was that the bassist needed some alone time to write a new song.

"Well yes, but there's no way they'd meet up. Chances for that are too slim." Azusa said confidently.

"But it would be funny, no? What do you think, Mugi-chan?" While Azusa believed that those two together equaled an apocalypse, Yui had different thoughts. Travelling together is alway better than travelling alone, so Yui did not regard it as a bad thing.

Mugi was busy envisioning Mio and Ritsu together with a gleeful face. It would definitely be interesting, those two had a strange dynamic between them, and the ever so sensitive Mugi-chan picked up on this immediately.

Jolted from her thoughts by Yui's query, she tried to speak but her first try wasn't quite successful. Embarrassed, Mui tried to bring back her voice by clearing her throat politely. Thankfully, it worked.

"Um, it's true that it is not likely that they'll meet, but that does not mean it's impossible. I personally think it would be nice to have some company on long trips."

"Right? That's what I thought!" Yui was pleased to have Mugi-chan on her side.

Ui, the ever responsible little sister never forgot any tasks. Checking her watch, she saw that it was time for yet another 'household chore', but one that she liked to do.

"Onee-chan, it's time for your walk!"

Upon hearing that Yui skipped around happily. Azusa blanked out. '_What is she, a dog?' _And Tsumugi, who's imagination knew no bounds, immediately associated the word 'leash' upon hearing Ui's proclamation.

But Ui also remembered that she had not made dinner yet. What a shame! And right when their dear friends were visiting!

"Onee-chan, I'm sorry but I just realised I have to make dinner too. I can't leave now." Ui's broken expression was heartbreaking. Failing her sister always caused her extreme displeasure.

"But Ui-chaaaan!" Especially when Yui started to whine so cutely. Ah, the harshness of life!

Tears began to collect at the corners of Ui's eyes. She looked to the side, avoiding her sister's gaze."I...I can't."

Azusa failed to grasp the importance of it. '_They're so dramatic.'_

"So," she started "what's with this...walk?"

"Onee-chan needs to get out of the house sometimes, it's not healthy for her if she...relaxes a lot at home. So we go for a short walk."

'_Relaxes? More like rolls around on the floor or something.' _Azusa thought doubtfully. Still, she did not see what the big deal was.

"I could take- I mean, go with Yui-senpai for a walk and you could cook the dinner in the meantime."

Yui's eyes bightened. "Azunyan!" A hug was in order. Or tackle. Same thing.

Ui felt relieved too. "That would be great, Azusa-chan! Thank you!"

"Are you coming, Mugi-chan?"

Mugi saw the silver lining in anything...or anyone. Especially if they were of the female species. So either way was fine with her. She believed Ui needed the help more, whereas Azusa would be fine handling Yui.

"I think it would be best if I stayed here and helped Ui-chan with dinner."

Ui beamed. "That would be wonderful!"

* * *

Ritsu yawned. Train rides were so boring. Normally, she'd pester Mio, but the bassist was fast asleep. With her head on Ritsu's shoulder.

'_Heh, what a hypocrite.'_

The train had inner heating, so the drummer's jacket was now draped over their laps. Ritsu struggled to find something to do, but with Mio using her shoulder as a pillow, mobility was quite limited. Eventually, a lady and her child sat down in front of the two HTT members. The little boy looked to be about eight years old. Desperate, Ritsu tried making faces at him when his mother wasn't looking and to her delight the boy responded, proving to be a tough opponent in the battle of grimaces.

Mio murmured something in her sleep and buried her face into Ritsu's neck, unconsciously seeking more of that interesting scent. And if that wasn't enough, she also fell into her habit of clutching anything nearby in her slumber. The drummer being the nearest source of warmth, Mio's arm draped over Ritsu's tummy as she clutched onto her new, sweet smelling teddy-substitute.

Ritsu went beet red. The boy was grinning mockingly at her, to which she let loose a small growl of warning.

"Shush." Said the bassist, still asleep but apparently aware of her surroundings. Ritsu stopped immediately, and looked to the side with an even stronger blush if possible. The little kid was guwaffing now, and the mother turned to him to see what was going on.

"What do you find so funny, Kazuya-chan?"

"That lady is so funny." He said, pointing to the drummer. "She is soooo lashed!"

"I think you mean 'whipped', dear. And don't point at strangers, it's rude."

Little Kazuya nodded compliantly.

"Can I have a biscuit?" He asked hopefully.

"Sure, here you go. You definitely deserve it, you were very quiet today." What the mother didn't realise was that the boy probably didn't talk because he had been too busy making faces at Ritsu.

Eventually the boy got bold enough to start talking to Ritsu, and the drummer, having nothing better to do, entertained him as best she could.

Two hours later the ride was more than halfway over. Mio awoke to find Ritsu grinning at her slyly and suggestively wiggling her eyebrows.

"Don't look at me like that!"

"Aw Mio-chuan, your dozing face was so cu-OW! What the hell!" Ritsu clutched her head.

"You've earned it."

"You're so aggressive. I mean, you can't be so violent here! There are young children watching! What kind of example are you setting, ojou-sama?"

The young child in question was laughing at the new turn of events. Luckily his mom had gone to the toilet and was not there to witness the action. Mio felt embarrassed, even though the kid was clearly enjoying all the drama.

"I..I'm sorry." The bassist said softly, lowering her thick lashes and not looking into the other girl's eyes.

'_Oh no! It's that vulnerable face again!'_

"No problem! My head is thicker than it looks!" Ritsu lightly rapped on her head with her knuckles to prove her point.

Mio raised an eyebrow. "Don't worry, it looks thick enough to me."

"Aww how mean! And it was me who helped you sleep well too!"

Mio blushed. "Your shoulder was too hard anyway." '_Probably from all the drumming.'_

The train stopped. The little boy and his mother got ready to leave, but the child suddenly turned and raced to them, tugging on Ritsu's sleeve to get her attention.

"I wish I had a sis like you!" And ran back to his mother. Mio looked questioningly at Ritsu, who shrugged.

"Don't ask. If only my little brother would think like that." Ritsu looked off to the side, but spotted something from the corner of her eyes that made her grimace sourly. _'No. Not here. Please.'_

She quickly tried to drape the jacket over herself but it prooved to be too late, as a mocking voice reached her ears.

"Aww is little Ritsu still playing hide and seek? How adorable." The sickeningly sweet voice belonged to a girl who looked to be their age and was quite pretty, but something in her eyes set Mio off. Her instincts were telling her to keep away from this person. The bassist looked questioningly at Ritsu, who has since taken the jacket off her head only to reveal –to Mio's surprise-a defeated expression. The drummer was avoiding her gaze, and instead stared dully at the floor. Mio, now worried, tried to reach her with her voice.

"Who is she, Ritsu?" Her tone took a softer ring, trying to coax Ritsu out of her stupor. The drummer remained silent, but the new girl answered instead in a snide tone.

"Tsu-chan, I'm disappointed. You've already found a new ass to lick. Never thought someone would fall for such a pathetic little creature, but I guess I was wrong. She's probably using you...but then again that's the only thing you're good fo-"

"SHUT UP! HOW DARE YOU SAY SUCH THINGS TO RITSU!" Both the girl and Ritsu snapped their heads up at the normally shy bassist's outburst. Mio had no idea who this person was, but she sure wasn't going to let her badmouth her bandmate. She then collected herself, and her burning rage cooled to a frosty glare that was even scarier than the former. Her adversary snapped out of her momentary surprise, and regarded Mio with a raised eyebrow.

"Oh, you're defending her? Well, it's not exactly 'defending' is it? After all, bitches like you only know how to bark-"

*SLAP*

Mio's eyes went wide. Her hand was raised in a position to strike, but she never actually followed through with her slap. Instead, it was Ritsu who came to her senses thanks to Mio's outburst, and decided to take action.

"You," In her anger, her voice lowered to a husky growl. "you have no right to treat my friend like that. I will not let you. Hitting girls is against my morals, but after all these years you've proved to be nothing but a snake. If you don't scamper away this instant, I won't hesitate to beat you to a pulp. And I wouldn't worry about Mio's 'bark' either, because I'm sure her bite is just as vicious. And she looks eager to prove that, heh?"

Their opponent realised that she was overpowered. She decided to throw in one last insult at the bandmates, making the drummer lunge at her, intent on punishing her. The bassist was holding Ritsu back, however- only to rush forward a second later and give a good slap to that nasty girl herself. The girl in question ran out of their carriage with a red handprint on her face and a split lip leaking blood.

As soon as she disappeared from view, it was as if someone had taken the batteries out of Ritsu. She slumped back in her seat with the same defeated look from before, and seemed drained. Mio has never seen the drummer in such a state before.

"Are you alright?" Mio knew it was a stupid question, but she had to break the silence somehow.

Ritsu drew in a shaky breath, but pushed her sadness back and tried to force out a smile. Seeing that broken, shy little grin made Mio respect Ritsu better than anything the drummer could've done. After all, it was then that the bassist realised that Ritsu's cheery persona must've been forced quite a few times, for her friends' sake.

Even at the station,when she thought, apalled, that Ritsu seemed unaffected by their situation. Her nonchalant gaze, proud stance with a slightly lifted chin oozed confidence. Eventually, even Mio calmed down as she felt Ritsu's mood alleviate her panic.

But even then, probably the drummer was just as worried as she was. In any kind of crisis she remained her energetic, cheerful self and managed to pass on the same enthusiasm to all of them. Managed to make Mio feel more secure when they were in deep trouble. And that sounded like such a tiring task. Always forcing yourself to be a pillar others could lean on.

Now too. But that shy little grin was on the verge of breaking, and Ritsu's amber eyes were moist, though she let no tears break through. For the bassist to see all of this meant that this incident must've shaken Ritsu up terribly.

That stupid witch! It must've been something from the past, an old wound reopened, but what?

Mio tried to go over their dialogue again in her head, and tried to force back her bubbling anger at those snide comments.

Wait a minute...

No, it couldn't be. But the thought wouldn't get out of her head.

Ritsu and that girl, were they a-

That would make Ritsu a...

"...are you a lesbian?" Mio did not mean for it to come out so bluntly, but she couldn't help herself. She covered her mouth with both her hands after the words left her,feeling ashamed.

The drummer looked up at Mio with wide eyes, then looked down, trying to collect herself but failing miserably. Ritsu's confident self evaporated away, leaving behind an insecure girl who feared what the bassist would think of her after this incident.

'_Well, I can't run away now, can I? Might as well get over with this.' _Her body was shaking.

She still refused to meet those grey eyes, and replied with an obviously fake cheerfulness. "Well yeah, I don't exactly fancy penises, you know?"

'_Damn it.' _She thought, as a tear escaped her eyes and trailed down her face, leaving a moist line. Still staring down, she did not see Mio's incoming hug and got startled when sudden warmth enveloped her. Welcoming the comfort, she hugged back fiercely as Mio slowly drew soothing circles on the other's back with her hand.

It felt strange to Mio, who never would've thought she'd be in this kind of situation, especially not with Ritsu, whom she detested just hours ago. And she did not feel as bothered as she thought she would after hearing Ritsu's ...unique confirmation. Ritsu was Ritsu, and she belonged to them, to the band. Nothing would ever change that. And the way that bitch treated Ritsu was just cruel.

"There, there." Mio whispered softly.

"I.. I'm just sorry you had to witness that."

"You're the one being sorry? Heck Ritsu, you're the one who's always there for us and always supportive in your own way. In the short time that you've been with us, it's as if you were the leader of the band. Like a club president or something." Mio smiled. "Your teasing annoyed me to hell, and many times I thought of strangling you, but I'd always follow your drumming, and we'd always follow you when you'd initiate something for the band. But," Mio playfully poked Ritsu on her forehead. "you're still an idiot. And God knows you go overboard many times."

Said idiot was staring at her, astonished, before breaking out into a full grin, one that reached her eyes too.

'_No one has ever said such things to me.' _"Well well well, I never would've thought you were one of those sappy people with the long, heartfelt speeches! I'm itching all over!" But the drummers bright expression spoke against that.

"I-Idiot! I'm not like that!" And a second later. "You just ruined the mood!"

Ritsu smiled. Then let loose a long yawn. What a crazy day.

"Hey Mio, aren't you tired?"

"Tired? No, why would I be?"

"True, I almost forgot that you've been sleeping on my shoulder for two hours."

"Can't we just forget that already?"

"Don't think I will. Anyway, it's my turn now."

"Your turn for what?"

"A nap." She took her jacket and put it on the armrest. Ritsu then lied down in what seemed like an extremely uncomfortable position and grimaced. Mio also grimaced. She sighed loudly, then motioned for the drummer to use her lap if she wanted. Ritsu sqealed, then got comfortable and fell asleep seconds later.

'_It really seems like we're friends now.' _The bassist chuckled.

* * *

Azusa remembered Yui always getting distracted by almost anything on the street, so she expected that this time wouldn't be any different either. She sighed. They bid goodbye to the other two and were off on their merry way.

Yui, of course, did not disappoint. Cats, dogs, strange gardens or houses all earned a small pause from Yui. Heck, she even chased off a group of pidgeons. Azusa sweatdropped.

"Yui-senpai, we can't stop every second." She searched for a good motive. "Dinner will get cold if we take too long."

"No way! Lets hurry then, Azunyan!" Yui grabbed the kouhai's hand and started to sprint back towards her house. But then she noticed something.

"A dog!"

"Not again!"

"But, but this one is different. It has something around it's mouth."

Azusa turned to look at the dog. She gasped.

"Yui-senpai, that's foam! It's a rabid dog!" Still holding Yui's hand, she grasped it more tightly and now it was her turn to make a mad dash back to Yui's residence, the sudden burst of fear giving her a good dose of adrenaline that enabled her to drag Yui without much effort.

Yui did not feel the same panic. "But, shouldn't we help the doggy then? Instead of abandoning it?"

"I'd rather abandon the dog than let you get infected." Azusa said in a serious, protective voice. An image of a rabid Yui sprang to her mind, with a foaming mouth, rolling around on the floor, mumbling incoherent things.

'_Not that it would make a huge change from her usual behaviour...but still.' _Still, she worried. Not to mention Ui-chan would kill her if something ever happened to Yui while under her care.

Azusa was so lost in her thoughts, that if it weren't for Yui yanking her back at the last minute, a car would've hit her as she ran to cross the road.

"Azunyan! Didn't your mommy tell you to look before crossing a road? You had me worried there for a second."

Azusa blushed, ashamed. Sometimes she really felt like the kouhai she was, juvenile compared to the others. But those occasions were extremely rare, especially with Yui and Ritsu in the band, who'd make a toddler feel mature in their presence.

* * *

OMAKE

The dog watched curiously as the two girls sprinted away in the opposite direction. He was tempted to chase after them, but he had played enough today with the youngest child of his owners and opted to relax for now. Besides, he did not get his dinner yet.

As if on cue, a middle-aged lady walked out to the porch with a bowl in her hand.

"Akamaru!" She called, and the dog obediently trotted up to her, wagging his tail eagerly. As he was getting closer, the lamplight of the porch illuminated his features. The woman drew in a sharp breath.

"Those kids! I told them not to give you milky before dinner!" She took out a tissue and wiped his white milk moustache off his muzzle. There. All better now.

* * *

**AN.:**

_"Getting jealous over each other's new friends?"_

_"Nah, I'm not that clingy." Ritsu denied. ..._Like hell she isn't! XD

Also, I'm not sure if the drama fit in here with all the light-hearted things going on, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway.(please) Let me know what you think!


	4. Chapter 4

**Happy Birthday Ricchan!**

As a treat, Mio gets a little push(or more) in the right direction. Though she still has a way to go.

So sorry for the delay! I started writing a chapter and midway decided that it was crap, so I had to start anew. Hopefully this one's better!

Thank you all for the feedback. Don't hesitate to give me your opinion or inform me of spelling mistakes ;) Like many others here, English is not my main language.

ENJOY!

* * *

Frustrated.

Mio felt like a volcano waiting to erupt from sheer frustration.

She had a test tomorrow and her concentration kept ebbing away much to her displeasure. Her long fingers kept weaving into her dark mane smoothly, searching for a nonexistent tangle without success. The TV was left on to provide some background noise with the volume raised just a tad bit higher than usual, hoping to drown out her own thoughts.

There was a talk show on, with the host questioning one of the guests about an issue that Mio could care less about.

"_So Hikasa-san, how do you feel about that?"_

Mio's eyes twitched. Her hand pulled roughly at her strands. She cast a glare at the TV.

'_I don't know how to feel.' _Was Mio's answer.

She hadn't talked to Ritsu about it since then. She had no idea what to say. And she was scared to find out where she stood regarding that issue.

After all, avoiding it altogether seemed easier than a confrontation. Yes, she was a Capricorn by heart and valued routine and normalcy in her life. Radical changes never meant good. She could pretend it never happened and act on as usual.

'_Usual.' _What a nice word. She savoured the way it rolled off her tongue in a whisper, relishing in the comfort it provided.

But surpressing things isn't good for one's peace of mind. And if she went on like this without dealing with it properly, the whole thing would blow up in her face sooner or later. Taking into account her recent inability to have a good night's rest, it probably was the former.

And right when she had exams leering at her.

The bassist let out an uncharacteristical shriek as if to clear her mind from the pressure.

"Dear, is everything alright?" Her mother apparently heard her outburst and was worried for her normally quiet and reserved daughter.

Mio blushed, she had no idea how that had slipped out of her throat."Yes mama, sorry for worrying you. I just couldn't find the answer to a problem." '_No lies there.'_

"Oh. You should take a break sometimes, Mio-chan. Have a snack." She suggested.

'_That might actually be a good idea.' _The bassist thought, and headed downstairs to the kitchen.

Ironically there was a jar of honey placed on the counter. She felt as if it were teasing her, just like a certain someone who had the exact same honeyed tone in her irises. She stared at it for a while, but soon got irritated and shoved the little jar into a cupboard, scowling at it childishly till the closing door of the cupboard hid it from her sight.

* * *

Mugi was planning a get together at her house. Since it wasn't specifically labeled as practice, Yui didn't bother to bring her guitar and Ritsu also decided to 'accidentally' forget her drumsticks at home.

So, the girls spent their day at Mugi's house partaking in activities that had nothing to do with music but had much to do with their chosen band name. The athmosphere calmed down as the day progressed, with the initial excitement of meeting each other again dying down to a peaceful silence, one that neither Yui nor Ritsu dared to break just yet.

Ritsu let her imagination wander as she continued to dip her finger into a small jar of honey and lick off the sticky substance.A strange scene sprang to mind.

Yui and Mugi, dressed in greek togas. In front of the table- err, altar.

"_We must bask in the holy taste of these relics!" _Yui would say.

"_Yui-chan, your faith has earned you the chance to sample this strawberry shortcake." _Mugi, priestess of honey sweet tea time rituals would reply.

'_Imagine that.' _Ritsu thought and let out a soft chuckle that reverbated in the silence. The rest ignored it, each lost in their own little world. It was only Mio who snapped her head up instantly and cast her eyes on the drummer, curious.

Ritsu had stopped voicing her amusement by then and went back to sampling Mugi's probably ridiculously expensive, world-class honey. She toyed with the thought of it being actually molten gold, and maybe the price of it justified that status. She licked it off slowly, absent-mindedly, rolling it delicately in her mouth and indulging in the rich taste.

'_Ha. _Rich_ taste.' _The drummer was too lost in her thoughts and thus did not notice Mio's unwavering stare. The bassist has been watching her since that small chuckle, and was unable to redirect her gaze to anything else. Her eyes were on Ritsu's finger with a transfixed expression, intently following it's journey as it dipped into the honey, then continuing to follow it as it drew closer to the drummers lips, the afternoon sun illuminating the small drops of the substance as they dripped off. She watched Ritsu's lips part as she went on to lick the honey off. Then her throat flexed with a swallow and the bassist could feel herself gulp almost simultaneously.

Mio realized what she was doing and shook her head with a frightened expression. Oh God, what was happening to her?

Intent on diverting her thoughts, she grabbed Elizabeth and ran her fingers over the smooth surface of the neck. Her bass never failed to soothe her. She and Azusa were naive enough to bring their instruments over in hope of some practice, but deep down they both knew there was no chance of it happening. She absent-mindedly plucked on the strings, relishing in the low purr and the soft vibrations of the body.

Her little tunes managed to coax Azusa to unpack her guitar and together they began to play some of the songs for the festival. Even without the aid of the amps, the cheery songs managed to set the mood for the remaining members too. Mugi hummed along while Ritsu tapped her hands on the table. Yui sat there proudly with shining eyes, lost in the moment.

It definitely couldn't be labeled as practice, but on certain levels it was so much more than that.

It was _their _music. Created in unison not by the need to rehearse, but by a sudden impulse, an urge that all of them felt and followed without hesitation. Something so much purer.

Swept away as Yui was, it still didn't make her nose immune to the irritation of the minuscule dust particles floating in the air. Which resulted in a gigantic sneeze.

The magic broke.

The girls shared a look, then burst out laughing.

Neither of them felt like going home just yet, so they agreed to a sleepover and called their parents to inform them.

Azusa was in an aftershock, with the euphoria from their little session still lingering in her mind. _This _is why she had originally intended to join the band. To experience this feeling. Out of nowhere Yui's arms closed around her as her senpai nuzzled her face into Azusa's jacket with a content sigh. Strangely, the kouhai did not feel irritated at all. Her subconscious told her that Yui was also experiencing the same euphoria, and merely wished to share what was left of it.

The other three watched the scene with a smile.

Though Mugi could've provided separate guestrooms for each of them, they instead opted for sleeping in the studio. So Mugi had servants bring in blankets and pillows. They valiantly tried to stay awake for as long as they could (Ritsu's ghost stories helped a lot), but eventually fell asleep in the mass of fluff.

* * *

The next day Mugi coaxed them to stay more using her natural charm and numerous pastries. They didn't have to worry about schoolwork because there was a national holiday on Monday and Tuesday. Mio, Mugi and Azusa had probably finished their homework already, while Yui and Ritsu simply didn't care.

It was late afternoon by the time the four girls decided to go home. It was when Ritsu realized she was following Mio that she remembered the bassist's adress, having taken her home once after that disastrous date.

"Oi! Mio!"

The bassist jumped up slightly. She looked back and saw Ritsu running towards her, waving her hands energetically.

"Don't scare me like that!" She snapped. "Anyway, what are you doing here?"

The drummer struck out her tongue. "Silly, my house is this way too."

"Oh." Mio looked off to the side, embarrassed. "Then, I guess we could go together?"

Ritsu rewarded her with a wide grin. "Fear not, for I shall accompany you to safety, ojou-chan!"

Mio smiled. The other girl's light-hearted demeanor was infectious. She didn't notice the slight sigh of relief from her companion.

Truth was, Ritsu had no idea how to act around Mio now that her preferences were out. The whole thing confused her, for the bassist had not voiced her thoughts nor opinion on the issue. But surely Mio wasn't disgusted, right? She wouldn't have hugged her otherwise on the train. Or comforted her.

Maybe she just needed time for it to sink in. Or maybe she just didn't care. And maybe Ritsu overthinking things didn't help at all. Hell, she was starting to feel dizzy. So she had decided to act as usual, and seeing that it worked (that small smile must mean that, right?) calmed her a little.

They reached the bassist's house first, since hers was the one closer to Mugi's home. The girls bid each other farewell, and Ritsu continued to walk towards her place. A sudden shriek made her stop dead in her tracks, and a feeling of dread swept over her as she realized the voice belonged to Mio. She sprinted back to the other's house.

Mio was standing there in front of her door with a horrified expression on her face and a hand stuck in her pocket. Ritsu rushed over, concerned.

"Hey," she started gently, "what's up?"

The bassist was surprised to see the other, but she also felt a small wave of relief. '_At least I'm not alone.'_

"I've left my keys at home." She sat down, not trusting her suddenly shaky legs to support her weight.

Ritsu plopped down next to her. She was prepared to keep the girl company till her parents came back. She knew from experience that it sucked to wait alone when you've locked yourself out, especially now, since the sun has begun to set and soon only the streetlights would provide any visibility.

"So, when will your parents come back?"

Mio rested her chin on her palms."Tuesday morning."

"Whoa." She expected something along the lines of 2-4 hours. But a whole day and a half? They needed an alternate solution. But what?

'_I guess I could get the food from home and...wait a sec, I could just have Mio come over!'_

"So," she asked, not revealing her idea just yet, "what do you plan on doing?"

Mio lowered her face into her palms, feeling miserable."I have absolutely no idea."

"Hey hey, lighten up. I know just the thing to do."

Mio's face peeked up from her hands, hopeful. "Really?"

"I'm not living far from here. You could just stay over at my place till your parents come back."

The bassist could not believe her ears. "B-But what about your parents?"

"They've gone off to visit my grandparents. They'll be away the whole week. And I'll make sure Satoshi doesn't mind."

"Satoshi?"

"My little brother." Ritsu waved her hand in dismissal. "So, what do you say?"

Mio did not want to impose on Ritsu. But on the other hand, did she really have a choice? Unless she wanted to sleep on a bench or in a bush or something. She could already picture the homeless people walking up to her, thinking they have found a new comrade. The bassist shivered.

"I would like to accept your offer Ritsu, thank you very much." She said with a grateful smile.

Ritsu's eyes crinkled."_No problem!_" She replied in English with a horribly thick accent.

The drummer stood up."So, what are we waiting for then? _Let's go!_"

She grabbed Mio's hand and yanked the other girl to her feet then proceeded to sprint home, dragging the bassist behind her.

The taller girl felt a mixture of nervousness and anticipation as she struggled to keep up with Ritsu's fast pace.

* * *

The door of the Tainaka household snapped open loudly.

"I'm hooome!" The drummer yelled. Mio heard a faint "Welcome back, sis!" from upstairs.

Ritsu turned to the other girl."Just a sec." She took a deep breath.

"SATOSHIIIII! Drag your ass down here right now! We have a guest!"

Mio sweatdropped. What kind of situation did she get herself into? Her hand was trembling slightly. She always felt anxious when meeting strangers.

Loud thumping could be heard as the boy descended down the stairs. He skipped the last few with a huge jump, landing next to his sister.

Ritsu raised an eyebrow. "Stop monkeying around." Then leaned close to him and whispered loudly.

"Nice jump, by the way."

Mio rolled her eyes. Satoshi grinned at his sister's praise, then turned to their guest, who was..wha- ...wow. The younger Tainaka blushed, intimidated by such cold beauty.

The bassist actually felt more at ease seeing the boy blush. Great, so she wasn't the only shy one here! She tried to muster a friendly smile, and bowed down deeply.

"I'm Akiyama Mio. Please take care of me." Hearing no response, she looked up curiously. Satoshi seemed frozen in place, mouth agape, staring at her intently. Now Mio was starting to feel uncomfortable again. As if on cue, red seeped into her cheeks. She started fidgeting with her hands.

'_Whoa!' _Satoshi thought. Here he was, ready to label her as one of those typically unapproachable girls with frosty features, and she strikes with a warm blush! It instantly made him see her in a different light, the contrast of her looks and personality giving charm and depth to her beauty.

*WHACK*

"Oww what was that for?"

"Snap out of it! You kept looking like a fish out of water instead of introducing yourself properly!" Ritsu huffed. She turned back to Mio apologetically.

"I don't know what's with him, really. So, meet Tainaka Satoshi, my little brother." The drummer thumped hard on his shoulder, and he bowed to the guest.

"Sorry for spacing out there." He said. "Please enjoy your stay." Both siblings grinned, the expression eerily identical on their faces.

"Thank you." Mio replied, still a bit nervous, especially when there were two sets of amber eyes giving her their undivided attention.

"Hey dearest little bro, set up the table for me, will you? I'll cook something up. Heh? What do you say?" She captured him in a headlock playfully. The smaller Tainaka chuckled.

"Alright, alright, I surrender."

"Good! Mio, you could watch TV while I prepare dinner. Or read some manga."

"Watching TV is fine."

"Alright. Sorry to keep you waiting."

Mio's eyes crinkled "Ritsu shouldn't apologize."

"Ah, but I'm afraid she will!" The drummer replied dramatically. She switched on the TV for Mio, then headed to the kitchen. The bassist sat down on the sofa. Satoshi flitted in and out of the dining room, plopping down next to the tall girl after his task was finished. He hesitated, a bit shy to initiate a conversation.

"Sooo, how did you end up here, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I left my keys at home, and my parents will be away for a while. I was lucky to have Ritsu nearby."

"Aw that sucks. I remember when something similar happened to sis. She had to wait hours before any of us came home." He smiled. "By the end she got so frustrated that she hurled her drumstick away in a random direction-" he paused a little, lowering his voice, "-and managed to break in the neighbour's window. Mom was furious."

"I can certainly picture her doing that." Mio deadpanned. They turned to watch the TV. It was some kind of talk show yet again. The bassist was starting to develop a severe dislike to them.

"_So, Yoko-san, now that __Sato-san's secret is out, what do you plan on doing?__"_

It took all of the bassist's willpower to hold back her scream. Not this again!

"_Well, Yakamura-san, thanks to that secret I have found an important part of my identity that I never knew existed."_

Already, treacherous thoughts began swarming in her head, prompted by the dialogue in the television. She tried to separate herself and her case from Yoko-san's to no avail. The voices could've been part of her subconscious for all the nuisance they've caused her so far.

"Um, Satoshi-san, could you please point me to the bathroom?"

"_Oh, is that so?"_

"_Yes, but I'm a bit afraid to embrace it. What would other people think? Would they accept me as I am?"_

'_Can't see anything! Can't hear anything' _Mio chanted to herself.

"Sure thing. It's upstairs, first door to the left. And just call me Satoshi!"

"Thanks, Satoshi." Mio smiled. It crumbled the instant he turned back to the TV.

Once she had reached the top of the stairs she covered her ears with her hands to drown out that '_stupidstupidstupid' _TV programme. The bathroom was her only sanctuary. She headed straight for the sink and splashed cold water onto her face. It helped her calm down a little.

* * *

The youngest Tainaka had his eyes intently on the screen. '_Ooooh, just tell us!_'

The lady on TV obeyed. _"Yakamura-san, the truth is that I have a really serious case of...foot fetish!"_

"Holy shit!" Satoshi exclaimed.

"Oi, little rascals shouldn't swear!" Ritsu yelled from the kitchen.

"But she has a foot fetish!"

"She could have a stapler fetish for all I care! What the heck are you watching anyway?"

"Cut me some slack!"

Mio came back. Thankfully Satoshi had changed the channel by then, irritated by the ads. The current channel featured a documentary about raccoons, and the bassist was instantly glued to the screen.

Eventually Ritsu finished her dinner, which in her opinion was a bit rushed so she promised no guarantee to it's quality.

"I just whipped something up so be careful. God knows how that turned out."

Satoshi paid no heed to the warning as he was already familiar with her cooking, which never failed to disappoint. He dug in with gusto.

Mio was a bit unsure, for Ritsu's words contrasted with the delicious aroma of the meal, yet somehow she couldn't picture the drummer being good at domestic skills. She took a bite tentatively, then found herself taking more in a rapid succession.

"So? How is it?" The chef asked eagerly.

"The usual, sis."

"Guess it's eatable then. How about you, Mio?"

The bassist couldn't answer because her mouth was so full. She gave a tentative thumbs-up.

Ritsu beamed.

* * *

After finishing dinner the two girls retreated to Ritsu's room. The bassist was beginning to feel like an intruder again. She valued privacy, and a person's room was their own private sanctuary in her opinion, which is why she felt uncomfortable. She stood in the middle of the room, rigid, while Ritsu tried to clean up some of the mess half-heartedly. It would get messy again anyway, so what was the point of struggling?

"Ok, I think that's more than enough." She huffed. She turned back to the bassist, who was obviously in great discomfort. Her hands started fidgeting too.

"You look way too tense. Here, let me help." Before the taller girl had any time to react, Ritsu was behind her, hands grabbing onto the tightly coiled muscles between the shoulders and the neck.

Mio yelped.

The drummer released her hold as if burned. She lifted up her hands, showing she meant no harm.

"Ok, ok! No touching then. How about we try something else? This'll ease you!" She gave up any further attempts at a massage and handed Mio Elizabeth, staring at her expectantly. Mio looked back with a blank face.

"Come on, unpack it!"

Meanwhile Ritsu walked over to her drumset. She grabbed her sticks.

"So, what kind of music do you like?"

"Eh? Well, um...jazz, I guess."

"Heh, figures." Ritsu tapped around a bit on her drums. A thoughtful frown took over her face.

"Hmm. Alright, here it goes!" Smooth jazz beat pulsed through the room. Surprised, Mio stared at Ritsu, a small sparkle of admiration in her eyes, barely visible but nonetheless there. Ritsu didn't notice, she was far too engrossed in mantaining the steady beat. Still not hearing the familiar low purr of the bass, Ritsu's eyes snapped to Mio.

"Come on, improvise!" She said ecouragingly. She didn't have to say it twice, Mio let instincts guide her as the bassline seemed to flow effortlessly, long fingers dancing on the fretboard with ease.

"Shift!" Ritsu announced, then promptly switched to another jazz beat, this one more fast-paced. The bassist felt disoriented for a moment, but soon followed the drummer's guide.

They went on like this for a while, with Ritsu changing the rhythm every now and then, keeping Mio on her toes. But the taller girl kept up with the challenge and her reaction time gradually improved, being able to catch Ritsu almost an instant after her shifting.

The drummer achieved her goal. The tension slowly began to ease out of Mio's shoulders. She managed to forget herself enough to reverse their roles, feeling playful as she proclaimed "Switch!" loudly. Ritsu's unguarded surprise was priceless, even the steady beat faltered a little, then stopped completely as she listened to the new bassline.

It was Mio's turn to take control, which she did with a childlike enthusiasm. She also played with the speed and style, no longer limited to jazz but encompassing various genres. The bassist let her thoughts wander, keeping up the melody no longer requiring a conscious effort. Not bothering to announce shifts anymore, fingers took control of the strings and slowed down the upbeat tempo.

The bass' deep drawling notes resonated sensually within the small room.

'_Whoa.' _The drummer supplied her own spice to it, but if anything it made it even more sultry.

Ritsu was beginning to feel hot. Surely it was from all the playing. Flailing your arms around did produce heat, after all. It had nothing to do with the current melody that just about oozed desire. No way.

"Um, I think that will be enough for today, lest we drive Satoshi mad." She gave a goofy grin, one of her hands disreetly pulling at the hem of her shirt, trying to cool herself down. The bassist also felt stuffy.

"Can I take a shower?"

"Course you can! Gimme a sec and I'll lend you some clean clothes."

"Thanks." Luckily Ritsu had some loose T-shirts. Hopefully one of those would fit Mio's ...distinct anatomical structure. She handed her a clean towel too, and baggy trousers.

"Off you go!"

The drummer also wanted to have a shower. In the meantime she asked her brother whether she could still "bang around a bit" to pass the time, and he let her. Too bored to stay within a constant rythm, she instead played various solos to channel her energy. At one point, due to the wild shaking of her head, her yellow headband flew off and landed in a corner. This did not deter the drummer, in fact it made her loosen up even more.

Ritsu had a thin sheen of sweat over her skin by the time Mio managed to finish the shower. The taller girl stepped in just as the drummer raked her fingers through her hair to shake out some of the moisture. She shook her head as a last attempt, the long bangs flailing about wildly before settling onto her face.

The bassist's intense stare was making her feel self-conscious.

"...Is there something on my face?"

"No, it's just...well..."

"You don't like the clothes I gave you?"

"No! I mean yes! They're ok."

"So what is it?"

"It's...um-"

"Look, if you ha-"

"YOU'RE DIFFERENT!" Mio finally blurted out. Ritsu's expression changed to hurt.

"I can't exactly decide who I am attracted to, you know?" She said, looking to the side.

Mio's eyes widened in horror. "Nonono! That's not what I meant! It's your hair! You without a headband...you look different!" She explained hastily. Mio thought that this hairstyle suited Ritsu better. It encompassed both the energetic and laid-back aspects of her personality.

How to place this...Ritsu looked _wild._

It could be the glistening moisture on her skin, sweatdrops rolling down to draw contour lines on her neck. It could be the way her eyes shone with power. It could be the change in hairstyle.

But the fact remained that these factors came together in a blur to soften the hard edges. The drummer appeared feminine, yet boyishly handsome at the same time. A blush from the bassist's intense gaze toned down the effect of the bold amber eyes. Her stance radiated confidence, something Mio envied greatly, yet Ritsu's lips did not stretch into her usual toothy grin. Instead, they were parted slightly in an almost coy, uncertain way. Had she been any less self-assured, she would've bit her bottom lip by then.

She had a unique beauty, Mio realized. It was flexible. One could look at Ritsu, regardless of who they were, and still see something that they wanted, something that captured them. Like a camera, when they focused on what drew their attention, the other features would become a blur that enhanced that much more the one feature they have chosen. It was just a matter of deciding where to focus.

As for Mio? The immense diversity itself was what she found alluring. Not that she dared admit that to herself.

The drummer kept pushing her bangs up nervously. "So, are you done in the bathroom?"

"Yeah. Thanks for letting me use it."

"Don't mention it. Are you sure the clothes are good?" They did appear tight in some areas. The drummer couldn't help her eyes from wandering.

'_This is no good! I have to tone things down. She knows I'm attracted to girls, I shouldn't scare her away with anything stupid. Stop staring down there!'_

"Yes, don't worry about it."

But the T-shirt was white and slightly moist from the bassist's hair that has gotten a little wet.

'_A little peak won't hurt...'_

She shook her head.

'_...Ah hell! I'm Tainaka Ritsu! Blunt and outspoken, yet charming and charismatic and...'_

"Weeell aren't you gifted Mio-chuan~!" She said, staring pointedly at the taller girl's chest.

"Kyaaa you pervert!" And she strikes yet again.

"That's what I get for complimenting you?"

"Only an idiot like you views that as a compliment."

"Meanie. Now I shall leave the scene in a huff and ignore you for the rest of the day."

"Good. Easier for me."

"Just you wait. You'll be crawling back to me on your knees in no time!" Her voice was far too dramatic.

"...I think you overdid it."

"Damn. Next time then. Until we meet again, ojou-chan!" She blew a kiss at Mio, then went off to have her shower.

The bassist raised an eyebrow.

'_That's Ritsu for you.'_

She looked around in the room curiously. She did not dare touch anything of course, but observation never hurt anyone. Even though the other had tried to create some order, random magazines, battered pencils and whatnot were still scattered aorund on the floor- and wait, were those panties?

Mio was beginning to feel light-headed. She hastily kicked the offending piece of garment under the bed.

Satoshi chose that moment to barge in.

"Hey, have you seen th-"

"I didn't do anything!" The bassist blurted. The younger Tainaka eyed her strangely.

"Oookay. Have you seen a magazine with a drumkit on it's cover? Sis borrowed it but always forgets to give stuff back." He scratched the back of his neck sheepishly.

"I haven't, sorry."

"Ritsuuuu!"

"Gimme 2 minutes!"

The drummer appeared. She had her long bangs tied into a high ponytail which made her look like her usual goofy self, if not worse.

"So, dearest little brother of mine, what was so important? You cut off my shower time by 2 minutes."

"A tragedy. Where's my magazine?"

"Which one?"

Satoshi leaned to Mio."See? This is what I was talking about."

"I was just joking. It has to be here somewhere." Ritsu started rummaging through her things on the floor.

"I know I left it arou- hey, what are my panties doing under the bed?" Mio blushed.

"Nevermind. Look, I found it." Ritsu handed Satoshi the magazine. "Out you go now! G'night!"

"Night sis, Mio-san."

"Good night."

Ritsu rubbed her chin. "That reminds me... you could sleep in my parents' bed."

"I can't do that!" The bassist protested. What would Mr. and Mrs. Tainaka think about a complete stranger sleeping in their bed?

They wouldn't have minded it at all in this case, but Mio didn't know that.

"Then use mine. I'll sleep in their bed."

"I can take the couch-"

"Nonsense. We have a spare bed, so no one is sleeping on the couch. You have to choose one option, Mio."

"I –can I use yours? At least I have your personal consent, unlike with your parents and-"

"Yeah, yeah. I get it. Relax, ok? Don't make me tell you again, or else I _will _give you a massage."

"Of course." Mio rolled her eyes.

"Seriously, I'm good at it! Right, Satoshi?" She yelled.

"What?" His voice sounded groggy and irritated. He had almost fallen asleep.

"Am I a good masseur or not? Mio won't believe me!"

The bassist could hear the slightly muffled reply from the other side of the wall. "She really has got magic hands, Mio-san!"

A resigned sigh passed her lips."Alright, I get it."

Ritsu shook her head. "I don't think you do, but still. There's nothing I can do."

"Hai, hai." Mio said placatingly. She yawned.

"Heh, I won't tire you any longer. Good night."

"Good night."

Ritsu was almost out of the room when she turned back as if suddenly remembering something. "Oh! One more thing-" she lowered her voice, "make sure the spiders don't crawl on you at night."

"Whaaat?" Mio screamed.

"Come on, I was just kidding. Relaaaax Mio-chuan, stress is not good for you!" Ritsu's face promptly met a pillow.

"Idiot!"

"So that's how you want it? Here!" The drummer launched back the pillow, then followed it by tackling Mio down. She began tickling the other's sides, making the bassist laugh uncontrollably. The taller girl struggled, but eventually managed to squeeze Ritsu's side. The smaller girl faltered for a moment and Mio launched into a full-blown counterattack. Both of them were laughing like madmen as they wrestled on the floor.

* * *

Satoshi turned in his bed. The scruffle in the other room was keeping him awake.

'_Damn, you'd think two girls wrestling is hot, but one of them is my sister! That is so gross!'_

The conversation that he heard but could not see was not helping either.

"_Surrender!"_

"_You must try harder then!"_

"_Oh, like this~?"_

"_No, please! Not there! Anywhere but- AAAAH!"_

"_I found your weak point!"_

Satoshi tried to block out the sound by pulling his pillow over his head. Thankfully the torture ended some minutes later, and Ritsu retreated to her parents' bedroom.

* * *

Mio wrapped herself up in the blanket. Ritsu's bed was very soft and comfy, and Mio was a girl who valued soft things. The smell was nice too. She sniffed curiously at the pillow. Strange, the shower gel in the bathroom didn't smell like that.

Suddenly, a strange, eerie noise cut through the silence. Mio's eyes widened in fear. It sounded similar to a dog's bark, but it was distorted, unearthly.

'_Could it be? A ghost hound?'_

Uh oh. That thought process wasn't good. It couldn't be a-

There it was again! Definitely a bark, but one she has never heard before.

'_ohmygod.' _She covered her ears. It didn't work. She tried to use the blanket and the pillow to help her purpose, but to no avail. And that _thing- _for there was no dog which let out such sound- didn't stop. She half-expected Ritsu to jump out from somewhere, revealing that it was yet another one of her jokes at Mio's expense. But the drummer did not appear.

She heard once somewhere that your thoughts, your thinking could have an effect on your life and the people surrounding you. If you think strongly about something, then others may know of your intent on a subconscious level and act upon it. She had nothing to lose, so she gave it a try.

'_If this is one of your stupid jokes I suggest you end it RIGHT NOW!_ '

No response.

'_Ritsuuuuu! Come here!'_

Now there was a response...from the mysterious being that let out another bark. Mio was close to weeping. It was decided. She had to wake up Ritsu.

Now if only she were brave enough to leave the protection of the bed...

'_I wish I had Ritsu's courage.' _Wait- maybe she could try to draw upon the drummer's strength. She sniffed deeply from the pillow, trying to sniff the remnants of Ritsu's essence. Hopefully she'll be strong enough to get out of the bed then.

'_Alright, here goes nothing!'_

In a split second she threw off the covers, then sprinted off to the door where she hoped the parents' bedroom would be. She knocked in hastily, but did not wait for a reply and ran in.

A harsh whisper. "Ritsu!"

Her answer was an unintelligible murmur. Not satisfied, Mio tried again.

"Ritsuuu"

"Mmm?"

"Um, well...there's this creepy barking sound coming in from outside and-" She did not dare admit she was scared. The other would just laugh at her.

"Huhh?" The drummer's voice was rough and heavily laden with sleep.

"Strange barking!"

"Oh." And then she promptly fell back asleep.

Mio heard another bark. Enough was enough.

"Can't you hear that?" She lightly shook the other.

Ritsu's speech was terribly slurred but it sounded like something along the lines of "Neighbour's dog, had some problem with the vocal cords."

The rational explanation did not give Mio as much comfort as she hoped it would.

"I'm still scared." She said timidly in a whisper.

Ritsu finally arose from the blankets. "So what do you want me to do?"

She needed the drummer's bravery. "Can I have a hug?"

The other sighed. "Come here."

Since it was pitch dark in the room, Mio couldn't exactly pinpoint where "here" was. She tentatively reached her arms out, softly feeling her way. She found the bed and two lumps on it which must've been Ritsu's legs under the blanket. One of the lumps shifted, and then hands grabbed onto the surprised Mio, dragging her onto the bed.

The bassist reached out for Ritsu.

'_I did NOT just-'_

"You touched my boob."

'_Jesus, I did.'_

"It's dark!"

"Mmm so darkness gets you in the mood?"

"NO!"

Ritsu's voice gained a suggestive tone. "So, do you want me to _hug _you too?"

"Argh just stop it!" The bassist stormed out, but not before whacking Ritsu in the head.

"Someone's in denial!" '_She'll definitely come back.'_

3 minutes later the door opened again.

"That dog is still barking!" Mio whispered loudly.

"They tend to do that, you know."

"But it's so creepy! I can't sleep."

Ritsu sighed. "Come here."

Mio had a slight feeling of déjà vu. This time she approached the bed even more cautiously, and only placed her hands on the side of it as she went forward. Out of nowhere arms closed around her as the drummer hugged her. It felt nice and soothing, like when her mama or Nodoka hugged her, but the scent served as a constant reminder, even (or especially) in this blackness that it wasn't their embrace she was receiving.

Also, contrary to any of her previous hugging experiences, she felt a strange push from the back of her mind, urging her to do _more._ Mio thought that her subconscious was not to be trusted these days, so she fought off those treacherous thoughts even though she was terribly tired and distressed.

Anyhow, here she was, hugging a person who enjoyed sadism especially when it had something to do with Mio, but also had masochistic tendencies, provoking the bassist till she received a falcon punch, was a lesbian, and mostly an idiot.

And Mio just touched her boob.

How on earth could she let someone like that come so close to her? Her, who was a paranoid scaredy-cat that liked soft and fluffy things and called her beloved bass Elizabeth.

It took a year of friendship for Mio to let Nodoka close enough to hug her. She has known Ritsu for what, two months?

What was wrong with her?

"You're tense again." Ritsu whispered. Her arms slowly went up to Mio's shoulders and started massaging her gently. The bassist fought off the urge to purr.

_What was wrong with her?_

She blamed it on the fact that the drummer kept working at her knots with an outstanding precision.

"I never thought you would be good at this."

Ritsu grinned cattily."Well, I know which spots to hit. I am a drummer, after all!"

"That was lame."

"Says the queen of cheese."

"Romance is not cheesy!"

"Hai, hai. Just take a look at those stupid fairytales."

"...fairytales are good."

"I should've known you'd like them."

"Don't say that in a condescending tone!"

"But all of them are so cliché and boring! I could beat them any day with a half-assed attempt at creating one of my own."

"Then do."

"Eh?"

"Let me hear your version."

Ritsu's eyebrows drew together slightly. "Alright." She took a deep breath. "In August..."

"What's that?"

"Don't interrupt my masterpiece."

"You can't start a story with 'In August'! It should be 'Once upon a time'!"

"This is my story. 'Once upon a time' sounds so fake. 'In August' gives it a realistic feel, as if it really had happened!"

"Fairytales are not meant to be realistic."

"Shush. I'll let your favourite dog in if you continue to defile my story."

Mio shivered. "You are a heartless person."

"Only for you, Mio-chuan. Now shush." She took another deep breath. "Sooo in August there was this girl, Aki, who awakened."

"What?" Mio raised an eyebrow sceptically.

"Aki awakened. Like a caterpillar that turned into a butterfly. See, Aki's mom always gave her pink and frilly dresses. But in August she awakened! Aki realised that she couldn't climb a tree in a pink and frilly dress. So she tried on a pair of jeans. The End."

"That was horrible."

"So was the dress!"

Mio sighed. "Try again."

"Whaaat? But there was character development!"

"Come on, try."

The elder Tainaka sibling huffed. "You're the heartless one here." She went into deep thought, intent on constructing something better. Then she gave up in favour of a great idea: to disguise a ghost story. It would start out like a normal fairytale (yes,' Once upon a time' included) but turn into horror. She chuckled. Mio would never be able to sleep after that.

"Alright, I'm ready!"

She received no response.

"Mio?" She focused on her hearing. Rhythmic breathing reached her ear.

'_She fell asleep.'_

Ritsu yawned. '_I should probably do the same.'_

The soft breathing of the taller girl lulled her to sleep.

* * *

OMAKE – Taking things out of context

Azusa was in an aftershock, with the euphoria from their little session still lingering in her mind. _This _is why she had originally intended to join the band. To experience this feeling. Out of nowhere Yui's arms closed around her as her senpai nuzzled her face into Azusa's jacket with a content sigh. Strangely, the kouhai did not feel irritated at all. Her subconscious told her that Yui was also experiencing the same euphoria, and merely wished to share what was left of it.

The other three watched them with half-lidded eyes and dazed smiles.

Mugi's hidden drug stash never failed to improve the mood.

* * *

AN:

"Mio was a girl who valued soft things."-Double entendre fully intended!

Sokabe-senpai makes an appearance next chapter, but not as a creepy stalker. I mean, she can be a charming person when Mio's not there to distract her.


	5. Chapter 5

**Warning! Author's rambling ahead!**

You may have noticed that there are two stories with one title here in the K-ON! section. AdrenaVeris-san offered to change hers, but since the title is more relevant there to the story, I switched mine instead to avoid further confusion. The new title is a mouthful, but I think it suits my story better. You may remember "Usa-chan" from the lyrics of Fuwa Fuwa Time. (S)he's the plush bunny of Mio.

Also, an **important**(?)** note**: in the anime, when Sokabe wanted an autograph from Mio, she asked for it to be signed as Mio**-tan**. "-tan" is the baby talk version of "-chan", so it must be embarrassing in public. Not that it will stop Sokabe from using it!

Thank you all again for your continued support! *cries*

More prodding at Mio. But will she get the hint? ENJOY!

* * *

"Sis wake up, Mio-san has disappeared and...oh."

So she hasn't disappeared after all.

"What the hell are you doing up so early? There's no school today." Ritsu growled groggily. She was sprawled out, limbs lying everywhere across the whole bed, blanket kicked off her body and probably out of reach too.

Aah, but what's this? A steady source of warmth protected her left leg from the cold, unlike the rest of her body which was subjected to the chilly morning air.

The drummer did not question free heat. In her sleep-muddled mind her thoughts were simplified to an all time low.

'_Cold. Need hot.'_

She rolled towards the unknown source with determination and draped herself all over it to escape the chill, then let out a contented sigh.

After witnessing his sister relocate her position, Satoshi was out of the room in a flash, beet-red.

'_She didn't say anything about a new girlfriend! How was I supposed to know!'_

The drummer noticed the unusual amount of hair brushing against her skin but did not dwell on it too much. Her momentary problem had been solved and finally she could return to sleep.

She let out a satisfied sigh. "Mmm."

"Whaaaaa'?" The hairy, unknown warm-thing shrieked at the top of her lungs and shot up to a sitting position, throwing Ritsu off her.

* * *

Mio's mama told her once that people deal with events in their life through dreams. It's like your brain is your own personal psychologist sometimes.

But it was hard to interpret the jumbled messages and symbols in dreams. And sometimes people wouldn't even bother. They would file it away as a silly, meaningless thing. One to forget upon waking, one not worth thinking about.

It may have been Ritsu's close proximity, but Mio's previous disturbances in sleeping escalated to the point where her subconscious decided to intervene –yet again.

That night she dreamt that there was something slightly _off _with her bandmates.

She was in Mugi's studio with Mugi and Ritsu. The other two were missing.

"Geez, I'd expect this from Yui but it's not like Azusa to be late." Mio said with mild disdain.

"Cut them some slack. You sound like a grouchy old lady unable to understand the passions of youth." The drummer replied, then took a sip from her tea.

Mio blinked incredulously. "What?"

"Ricchan is right, Mio-chan. We have to be patient. They are, after all, exploring these new sensations. While I do value practice, love is no light matter."

The bassist looked at them dumbly. '_New sensations? Love? Don't tell me they're...'_

"Though you got one thing right, they really are taking their sweet time. I wonder what they could be _exploring_..." Ritsu mused.

Mugi beamed. "I'm sure they're having a great time together!"

Mio blushed.

The room was silent for a while, with the only sounds being the buzzing of a big ugly fly that tried to fly towards freedom through the window glass unsuccessfully, and loud slurping as the drummer drank her tea. In these conditions, it was not long before Ritsu announced loudly that she was bored.

"It's so unfair! We're just sitting here, waiting, while they're enjoying themselves."

Mio choked on her tea. She realized it was a great mistake. Showing that what the drummer hinted at affected her so was like giving a load of ammo for Ritsu to tease her.

As if on cue, golden eyes focused on her. The bassist shivered. Those eyes reminded her of a predator. A lion who had just spotted it's prey. The cheshire cat grin the drummer wore did nothing to ease her fears.

"What's the matter, Mio?" She rose from her chair and started walking towards the bassist with slow but sure steps.

'_Such an intense look.'_

"N-Nothing."

Ritsu was almost in front of her. "Then why are you blushing?"

She stopped one step away from the bassist. Her face took on a thoughtful expression.

"Hmm. Now that I think of it, you do blush easily. It's so simple to coax it out~" She ran a finger down Mio's face, whose cheeks turned to an even deeper shade of red.

Ritsu's grin widened. "See?"

Mugi subtly inched more to the left for a better view.

Without warning the drummer plopped onto Mio's lap. The taller girl was too stumped to react to the bold move.

"Say, Mio-chuan," She reached out to stroke some ebony locks. "how about we also have some _fun_?"

Her answer was a gulp.

Ritsu looked away from Mio and redirected her gaze onto Mugi. She chuckled.

"Even Mugi-chan wants this. Who are we to deny her?"

The bassist turned to the blonde. It scared her, the way the Tsumugi was staring at them intently, eager for something to happen. In her blue doe-eyes Mio saw things she hadn't noticed before.

Anticipation. Pleasure.

Tsumugi wet her dry lips.

The bassist shivered. Ritsu grabbed her chin and turned Mio's face back to meet her eyes. There was hesitance in the grey irises, but the drummer continued her assault relentlessly.

"Haven't you ever thought about it before? How would it feel like to kiss a girl?" One of Ritsu's hands sank into the black ink that was Mio's hair and began caressing her nape, trying to soothe her as if she were a wild animal.

Mugi also drew near them, leaned to the bassist's ear and whispered huskily. "I fantasize about it all the time, Mio-chan."

Ritsu leaned in too, and whispered into Mio's other ear. "There's nothing to fear. Our lips are soft and sweet."

To demonstrate her point she lightly brushed her lips along the bassist's jawline.

"Give in." Her voice was thick like honey.

Fingers caressed Mio's shoulder, and even though she was wearing her school uniform she could feel the touch brush her skin.

"Mmm" Weird. This time Ritsu's sigh had a richer tone to it. It felt ...more real.

Her shoulder burned where their skin touched. The path Ritsu's lips drew on her jawline was on fire. The light caresses on her nape were giving her goose bumps. The breaths of sweet, innocent, rational Tsumugi warmed her right ear. She felt betrayed. Betrayed by the drummer, whose teasing has never been of this nature. By Mugi, who was always helpful, who could always be trusted, who was now panting like a dog in heat.

But most of all, she felt betrayed by her own body.

For she was _enjoying _it.

All of this was too much for her.

Too much.

'_TOO MUCH!'_

And it was then that Mio awoke and threw the drummer off her with a panicked scream.

* * *

By breakfast it was apparent that something strange was up with Mio.

"So what would you like with your toast? Jam? Or we have some honey-"

"NO!" Mio blurted, then cleared her throat awkwardly. "I mean, I'd rather not have any honey right now."

The drummer eyed her warily. "Alright. Are you okay?" She asked bluntly. "If you have any problems just tell me. You're in our house now, and in our care."

Inside, Ritsu was in turmoil. '_I hope I haven't scared her off with something. God knows I'm dumb enough to do it without even realizing.'_

"Well it's...nothing. Just a bad dream. Please let's just forget about it."

"Ok."

The strangest thing Mio realized was that her dream merely exaggerated their behaviour, brought to her attention the small things which have always been there, things that she saw but never really bothered to acknowledge. Like Mugi's weird moments. Or the dynamic between Yui and Azusa, which really resembled that of a fresh couple sometimes.

Satoshi sat down at the table next to them. He took a slice of toast, and started off casually. "So, since when have you two been together?"

Mio was unfortunate enough to be drinking milk at the time the question was cast, so of course the liquid went down the wrong way. Ritsu ran to her aid, patting her back and sent a murderous look her brother's way.

'_Even if I didn't screw up, he sure did._'

After the bassist's breathing was back to normal, Ritsu motioned for Satoshi to follow her and stormed out of the room. Her little brother trailed after her with obvious reluctance, sensing danger.

Mio awkwardly stared at her toast.

"_What are you, stupid!_" The bassist's ears perked up at the drummer's harsh whisper which sounded from the hallway. She knew it was not polite to listen, but curiosity always overruled etiquette. With that thought, Mio silently inched closer to the hallway.

"_How was I supposed to react? After I saw you two together on the bed..._"

"_That's not the point! We're just friends. Don't you think I would've told you sooner if there was something more?_"

"_But you-_"

"_No buts! Mio's already having a rough time not being able to spend her free days at home, and here you are asking something absurd like that! Do you realize how damned uncomfortable could she be right now?_"

Satoshi gulped. "_I...I never thought about it like that, I'm sorry. Does she know?_"

Ritsu hesitated for a split second. "..._She does._" A deep intake of breath. "_Look, I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just...she's straight, and I know how most straight people feel about ones like me._" Suddenly her previously downcast gaze snapped up to Satoshi with sisterly affection. She ruffled his hair with a smile. "_I'm glad you're not like that. But Mio might be unnerved, I don't know. So I've been trying my best to make her feel at home since she can't go to hers right now._"

Wow. Ritsu's confession hit Mio like a ton of bricks. If she hadn't been eavesdropping on them, this mature and responsible side of the shorter girl would have eluded her completely amidst the childish behaviour and constant fooling around. But it was there, and Mio berated herself for not noticing it earlier. Wasn't she supposed to be the clever girl?

Right now she felt so dumb.

The bassist walked back to the table and sat down. The toast was still there of course, and she kept staring at it again, but this time Mio saw it in a different light.

Ritsu had prepared this toast for her. And she had made dinner too. And the milky.

'_And given me clothes and a bed and _shelter. _Not to mention her company, and Satoshi too.'_

She grabbed the toast. It was still warm. Mio also felt a warmth inside of her and ate the toast with gusto. It must've been showing on her expression too.

"Is it good then?" Ritsu and Satoshi walked in.

She sent a brilliant smile towards the drummer. "It's perfect."

They've been making an effort to be as hospitable as possible. She was not going to let them down by brooding all day because of one stupid little dream.

The drummer motioned towards the hallway. "Sorry about that. We just had to talk through some things."

"Of course, I understand."

"Also..." Ritsu lowered her voice. "...I explained to Satoshi that um, we're not, uhh, together. Ehh."

Mio grinned at the flustered girl. "It's ok Ritsu. Relax."

Hearing the familiar phrase made the shorter girl loosen her tense shoulders. "You're the one to say that. What has this world come to!"

They giggled, and for that second Mio forgot about the stupid dream, forgot everything else and simply enjoyed their laugh, felt the weight of the warm toast in her hand and thought that she should lock herself out more often.

* * *

After breakfast they settled down on the couches. The TV was on, but thankfully it was airing anime, not some idiotic talk show.

The drummer rang up the rest of her bandmates and invited them to her house.

Mugi was the first to show up, bringing in her basket a selection that would put any french patisserie to shame.

Mio's nervousness from earlier returned full force. This was, after all, the same setting like in her dream...well, minus Satoshi.

So, did Mugi's looks really mean that? Some kind of toned-down version of enjoyment when she saw her bandmates ...bond with each other?

Or was her dream just a fluke? Maybe the blonde's strange behaviour had nothing to do with that.

She had to find out.

'_B-But I'd have to-_' She'd have to do something _suggestive _and check Mugi's reaction.

No way.

Though she did want to know whether her subconscious was just playing around with her. She wanted to prove it wrong.

'_I can't believe I've stooped so low. Here I am, trying to one-up myself._'

"Good morning, Mio-chan."

"Hey Mugi." Hmm. There was no need to resort to drastic actions just yet. Something less embarrassing will do.

"I heard what happened to you, Mio-chan. It must feel awful." Mugi said, bushy eyebrows drawn together in concern.

The bassist took a deep breath. '_Here goes nothing!_' "At first it really was bad. But I was lucky to have Ritsu there. We had a lot of fun yesterday, she tired me out so much that we eventually fell asleep in the same bed." '_If that isn't loaded with double-meaning, I don't know what is._' She chuckled nervously with rosy cheeks but kept her eyes trained on Mugi like a hawk.

'_There!_' A strange glint appeared in Tsumugi's blue eyes, but it was gone as quickly as it appeared. Not long enough to let Mio identify it properly.

Mugi smiled gently. "I'm glad to hear that. Especially since you two fought so much when you first met. It's good that you get along with Ricchan now!" Her voice was warm and soft as usual, like the Egyptian cotton sheets she probably slept in.

Mio smiled back. "Yeah." '_I missed it!_'

The doorbell signalled the arrival of another HTT member. It was Yui.

"Ricchan!"

"Yo, Yui!"

"Wow! Your house looks like a house!"

"...What did you expect?"

"I don't know...it's so ordinary."

"It's my house!"

"Yeah, but you're Ricchan! Don't you have a minefield in the garden or something? Ne? Ne?"

Mio answered instead. "One definitely exploded in her room by the looks of it. It's so messy, I could barely move around in there."

Ritsu snorted. "I definitely didn't hear you complain about that yesterday."

"I was too shocked."

Ritsu sneaked behind Mio. "Oh? Are you sure it wasn't because of this?" She poked the bassist right in one of her ticklish spots.

"GYAH!"

Yui perked up. "Mio-chan is ticklish?" She wanted to find out for herself, and aided the drummer in discovering the bassist's weak spots. Too bad Mio was too wrapped in the torturing session, else she would have noticed Tsumugi's adoring look which would've cleared all of her doubts.

The doorbell rang again and Ritsu abandoned her position to welcome the newcomer. Yui turned to Mugi and asked her if she wanted to join her in "making Mio-chan happy". The blonde declined of course, but had to clasp her hands together behind her back for they were itching to explore those so-called weak points.

"Yui-senpai, what are you doing?"

"Ah, it's Azunyan!"

"H-Help!"

"Mio-senpai! Yui-senpai, what is the meaning of this!" She asked sternly. In answer the other guitarist let out a sheepish chuckle.

"Sorry Azunyan, I didn't know you'd feel jealous over being left out."

"I'm not!"

"Of course you aren't. Come here~"

Azusa began to retreat but was unprepared for Yui's sudden pounce. Mio felt sorry for the kouhai, but at the same time Azusa's downfall meant her salvation. She didn't bother to spare a look at Mugi, who was still lost in her little world of lilies where no men existed, and schoolgirls remained unaware of 'bonding between friends', for their every action carried an underlying romantic tint to it.

'_This is so much better than when we went fox hunting with the Queen of England._' Mugi thought happily. Oh, the horrors! At least the tea had been good.

"Sis, it's your turn to-" Satoshi stopped mid-sentence as he saw the scene unfold before him. Five sets of eyes snapped to him in an instant, and the youngest Tainaka decided to run back where he came from. He did not forget his manners, and yelled out a nervous "Nice to meet you all!" before vanishing.

"That was Satoshi, my little brother." Ritsu clarified.

Yui was in awe. "You have one of those?" A younger sibling who was a _boy? _Yui could not comprehend it. That's like...like an Ui who wasn't an Ui, because Ui was most definitely a girl. And Ricchan has been living with him for years! A _boy_!

The emotional guitarist walked to the drummer and embraced her tightly."Ricchan, I'm so sorry! You must've had such a tough life!"

Ritsu cast a questioning look at the other bandmates who shrugged. No, they couldn't follow Yui's thought process either. She half-heartedly patted Yui.

"There, there. It's okay, Yui."

"It's not! I can't believe the unfairness of life!"

Tsumugi tried to solve the situation. "Yui-chan, what would Ui-chan think if she saw you like this?"

Hearing Ui's name made the guitarist cry out in despair. "Uiiiiii! I was lucky to have Ui, but poor poor Ricchan! You got _that!_"

"Erm, are we talking about my little brother? Don't worry, Yui. He might be a pain in the ass sometimes, but he's actually a good person." As an afterthought, she added soothingly. "You'll have to understand, not everyone can measure up to Ui-chan's high standards."

Yui glowed with pride.

"So, are we actually going to do something?"

"Let's have tea!"

"Yay!"

"Let's sleep here at Ricchan's house!"

"Yay!"

"Let's put peanuts into our nose!"

"...Yui."

"What? Don't tell me you haven't got any!"

* * *

Guitarist and singer of Houkago Tea Time, Hirasawa Yui felt extremely tired. It was one of those lazy days when your brain decided to take a vacation no matter how hard you tried to force it to work. Not that the brunette tried.

She was hoping that at least Sawako would leave her alone in class after seeing that Yui was not in any condition to pay attention. She had no such luck.

"Hirasawa-san!"

"What?"

"Please answer question number 2."

"Whaaat? But Sawa-chan, I don't wanna!" The class giggled. Mio buried her face into her hands.

"Don't call me that!"

"But we always call yo-"

"Out! And wait there until I call you back!"

"Someone is cranky today. Did you have your cake, Sawa-chan?" More giggles.

"That's Sawako-sensei for you! Now out!"

"Alright, alright. Geez." Yui walked out of the classroom at a leisure pace that only served to further raise the teacher's annoyance.

Standing outside, Yui felt even more bored than inside. And at least in class she had her desk to sleep on.

Wait a minute, isn't that... "Azunyan?"

"Yui-senpai! What are you doing out here? Don't tell me the teacher sent you out."

Yui pursed her lips. "Sawa-chan is so easily irritated. So, why are you out of class?"

"It's nothing." Azusa's shifty eyes went everywhere but strictly avoided Yui's gaze. "I have to hurry."

Yui grabbed the kouhai's arm. "Not so fast, Azunyan. Wouldn't you help out your senpai? Stay with me."

"I-I really have to go-"

"Where to?"

Finally, Azusa's lips moved to mutter something but the words stayed mute.

"I didn't hear that." Yui said, and leaned close to the kouhai to catch any escaping sounds.

"..et." Muttered a blushing Azusa.

Yui was beginning to get tired. She imitated the grave voice of a teacher. "Azusa-kun, you must realize the importance of articulation, and learn to use it in your everyday life."

"I have to go to the toilet! Happy now?"

Yui's eyes softened immediately. "That is not something to be ashamed of, Azunyan. Everyone has to pee sometimes."

"I know, I know! It's just...it's my first time to leave in the middle of a class to go to the toilet and- and that's something that happens in elementary school, not in high school. It's so embarrassing."

Yui encompassed the small girl in a reassuring hug. "Azunyan, don't let other people's beliefs overrule your needs. If your body tells you to go, then you must go and ignore whether it's embarrassing or not."

She leaned back a little to study the other girl's face. "Besides, it's not like it never happens. Ricchan told me she always uses it as an excuse to get out of class when it gets too boring, and she doesn't let shame control her."

"But Ritsu-senpai is-"

"A high school student. Just like Azunyan." Yui's warm eyes crinkled mischievously.

Azusa was beginning to feel foolish, but for different reasons this time. Yui was right. She nodded reluctantly.

"I guess so."

"Did I help?" Yui seemed like a puppy awaiting praise.

Azusa smiled. "Yes. Thanks, Yui-senpai."

"Hehe~"

Suddenly, the kouhai grimaced. "I'd really like to stay, but I did not leave class for no reason."

"Hai, hai." Yui waved. Azusa sprinted off to answer nature's call.

"Hirasawa-san!"

The brunette turned towards the speaker. An unguarded look of surprise came across her face. "Sokabe-senpai?"

Indeed, it was Sokabe Megumi standing in the hallway. She smiled. "Yes, it's me. Nice to meet you again, Hirasawa-san."

"Call me Yui!"

"Yui-san, then."

"Nononono." The guitarist shook her head vehemently. "Just Yu-i!"

Sokabe's eyes glinted. "Yes, I said that."

"No, you said –san."

"I said Yui-san."

"Yes!"

"Yui-san it is then."

"No!" Yui pouted cutely. The older girl couldn't withstand it and burst into giggles.

"I know, I know. Sorry. There's a person I hang around with who is such a tease. She must be rubbing off on me."

Yui sulked. "That wasn't funny, Sokabe-senpai!"

"You know, I'm not even your senpai anymore. Yet you still call me that." The other girl stuck out her tongue as an answer.

Sokabe sighed. "I guess I deserved that. But, _Yui, _it's a pity you guys can't come."

"I know and I really really wanted to go! And the rest of us, too! But we already have plans for that night."

"Yes, yes. It's ok."

"So, why is Sokabe-senpai here?"

"I came to get a glimpse of Mio-tan!"

"Oho!"

"Is she in this class?" Sokabe asked eagerly.

"Yep! But there are still 10 minutes left of it."

The two girls chatted till the bells rang. Sawako was the first one to leave the room. She spotted Yui looking at her innocently.

'_Shit! I completely forgot about Yui!_' She cleared her throat. "Well, I hope you've learned your lesson."

"What lesson? You sent me out of class."

"And I was right to do so!" Sawako left in a huff.

Yui turned to Sokabe. "She's so irritable today."

Sokabe nodded in understanding. She peeked into the classroom, then turned to Yui, beaming.

"I'm off then, cya!"

"But- but you haven't even talked to Mio yet!"

"Forbidden love is so much sweeter!"

"...Didn't you mean platonic?"

The older girl continued as if Yui hadn't spoken. "Besides, I'll see her soon enough anyway!" She winked at a confused Yui who was still trying to sort out the different types of love in her head, then left hurriedly. She missed her lunch break, but getting a glimpse of her Mio was totally worth it!

* * *

Ritsu rang the doorbell. It was a guy in his twenties who answered it.

"Yo, want a beer?"

"Uh, no thanks. So where's the host?"

"Right here! Glad you came, Ricchan!"

"You throw the best parties, Megumi-san." Sokabe grinned proudly. She grabbed Ritsu's hand and dragged her in with childlike enthusiasm.

"You won't believe this, Ricchan! Finally, the person I've been telling you about is here!"

Ritsu was curious. But as soon as she spotted the girl they were heading towards, shock came over her.

'_Don't tell me..._'

"May I present you Akiyama Mio-tan!" Hearing her name, Mio turned around. She saw Sokabe, gazing at her with adoration and ...Ritsu?

The bassist measured Ritsu with suspicion."What are you doing here?"

The shorter girl's surprise melted away quickly, leaving in its place a suggestive grin. "Why, Mio-_tan, _aren't you happy to see me?"

Sokabe clapped her hands together excitedly. "So you two already know each other!"

"I'm afraid so."

"Ah, you wound me so, Mio-_tan! _We have been through so much together!" Ritsu rubbed her eyes as if she were drying her tears.

"Don't call me that!"

"Aw, don't you like it, Mio-_tan? _Thou art truly a cruel being, Mio-_tan!_"

"Seriously, Ritsu. Drop it."

"But I like the sound of it. Mio-tan Mio-tan Mio-tan Mio-tan."

"Argh! STOP IT!"

Sokabe watched the exchange with interest. Where was the popcorn when you needed it?

Mio really seemed furious. The drummer lifted her hands up in surrender. "Don't take this to heart, Mio. I'm just teasing you. Loosen up!"

But the anger just wouldn't leave the bassist.

When someone teased Mio, she gave this endearing reaction of imitating a ripe tomato with the colour of her cheeks. Or trembled in fear. It depended. Her few friends knew that teasing her caused the bassist stress, so they rarely indulged in the pleasure of seeing Mio squirm with discomfort.

Whereas when it was Ritsu the one doing it, she gave no mercy and showed no self-restraint, nor did she care how much it was affecting the bassist.

So, naturally, the drummer was the only one able to make Mio _snap_.

'_Inconsiderate idiot!'_

"Oh, so _you_ want me to loosen up!" She jabbed her finger at the smaller girl.

Mio yanked off Ritsu's hairband and snapped it in half.

"Then follow your own advice!" She stormed off in a huff.

"My my, isn't she feisty!" Sokabe savoured this new side of the bassist. It left her all warm and tingly inside.

'_I wish she'd yell at me like that, it's so hot!_'

Ritsu stared blankly at the remnants of her hairband. Loosen up, eh? She'll loosen up all right. And Mio'll feel the consequences.

Sokabe grinned cheekily at her. "You heard her, Ricchan. Loosen up."

Ritsu scowled. "Whatever." She marched off to the dancing area and let the music soothe her mind, channeling her frustration into a vicious dance that earned her a wide circle all to herself. No one dared get close to the drummer. She enjoyed their attention, the curious and admiring gazes. But she always had to fight for it.

'_On the other hand, the mere presence is enough for some people to get them noticed._' There were many faces in the crowd, and not all of them were ogling Ritsu. She followed where the heads turned and found her lips parting into a grin of their own accord.

Mio.

'_Figures. The girl who hates attention is the one that draws the most._ _I'll teach her to loosen up!' _But first, she had to calm down. She'll have to be calm if she wanted to stay in control.

The drummer, for now, was unaware of Mio's grey eyes watching her intently. Unaware of the looks people sent her way.

The bassist, however, was perfectly aware of every single stare she received from the crowd around her.

Like spectators in the Colosseum, eager for blood as Mio was left alone to fight the biggest, most frightening beast yet- herself.

Desire and lust, monsters born from the shadows of subconscious joined to defeat her sanity, she felt. And she was losing. For were they so scary? Wasn't their fur soft as silk, their purring music to her ears and their words sagely wisdom?

She was liking this. She felt drawn to the one person that embodied these creatures perfectly.

Ritsu.

Untamed hair not unlike that of a lion's mane, yet seemingly so soft. Glowing golden eyes of a feline flashed like lightning every time a stray ray of light found them. Right now, every move of her yielded power, energy and danger on the dance floor.

Mio heard roaring.

Was it the roaring of the bloodthirsty crowd in the arena? Or was it the blood roaring in her veins? She didn't know anymore.

"C'mon lets dance!" Ritsu appeared and did not give Mio time to think it through. Sometimes you had to force the bassist to do something and she'd do it, when no other choice was available. So the drummer tightened her grip on the taller girl's wrist and made sure that Mio realized this was her only option.

A group of people stared hungrily at them from a corner.

Mio did not drink alcohol, so why was she feeling inebriated?

Why was she letting Ritsu so close? Did she want to? Or were the dark whispers in her mind the ones urging her to do this?

A voice brought back the bassist to the present.

"Let's give them a show, neh?" Ritsu shifted. Her energetic dance slowed down to embody the sensual music blaring out from the speakers. She lost herself within the pulse, eyes lidded as if in a trance. Letting her body channel the rhythm. Mio swallowed but it did nothing to ease her suddenly dry throat. She swore she could hear Ritsu purr.

"Relax." Ritsu whispered huskily, and softly brushed her lips against the corner of Mio's mouth. Not enough to taint her, but enough to give her a taste. From the right angle it could be mistaken for an innocent kiss.

The crowd roared again. The crowd only the bassist heard.

Mio blanked out. She had to remind herself that Ritsu was just putting up a show for those shrouded figures. All staring so curiously. So heatedly. She could almost taste their lust in the air.

The shorter girl's lips brushed against her throat. She felt the beat, she felt Ritsu. Her blood pulsed, matching the other's rhythm. She took quick breaths only to swallow thick, tainted air. Display or not, Mio could feel herself getting aroused. Now it was her turn to purr, causing the drummer's lips to part into a playful smile against her skin.

"Ritsu" She sighed out the name. All felt like a dream, one that upon waking could make you itch for a cold all of this was happening so suddenly. She was suffocating in the haze. She had to get out. She needed to wake up from this, it was just too much.

"Ritsu." She repeated again, still in a lazy drawl but lacking the thickness of before.

"Ritsuuu" This time her tone was more pleading. The drummer also realized the slight difference, and one look at Mio's slowly clearing eyes told her all she needed to know. The fog from the bassists mind has lifted and Ritsu was worried to discover a spark of unease in the grey irises. Knowing Mio, that tiny spark could easily evolve into panic.

Concerned, she gave Mio a comforting hug and whispered encouragingly. "Alright, lets go get some fresh air. Lighten up."

She led the bassist out by her hand. Mio clutched onto Ritsu's hand –and eventually her arm- like a lifeline. The drummer could feel the softness of Mio's certain areas press against her arm and gulped.

"It's ok." She reassured, but it almost felt like she was saying that to herself. Either way, with that shaky voice it didn't sound too convincing.

* * *

**AN: **Wake up Mio! Wake up!

Anyways, hope you enjoyed the new addition. More to come next time!

*Edit* Ooops I forgot the omake.

* * *

OMAKE

"Ritsu, Satoshi, we're home!" Mr. Tainaka yelled as he stepped into the house.

Satoshi ran downstairs to welcome them."Wow, you're back early!"

"Yes dear, something came up." Mrs. Tainaka replied. "Now, where's your sister?"

"We had an unexpected guest so she's sleeping in your bed."

"Let's check on her."

They did just that.

"You know, I thought you meant that Ritsu was sleeping in our bed."

"Why, isn't she?"

"Well yes, but-" Mrs. Tainaka was cut off by her husband.

"I have a great idea!" He went for two glasses of water, then dipped each of the girls' hand in one. "Hehe, I've always wanted to try this out!"

Mrs. Tainaka spoke carefully."Well, I guess it's alright to have fun every once in a while. Now all we have to do is wait."

"We can just say it was punishment for _having fun _in our bed!"

"Excellent! I'll go get the popcorn!"

"Now I know why I married you!"


	6. Chapter 6

So very sorry for the delay! I was in a sour mood these past days and I did not want it to affect my writing. In turn, the Omake will give a light-hearted take of what could have happened if I did decide to work on this while being grumpy.

Many thanks to the motivators/reviewers and to everyone in general who follows the story. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Without further ado,

ENJOY!

* * *

_"It's ok." She reassured, but it almost felt like she was saying that to herself. Either way, with that shaky voice it didn't sound too convincing._

_

* * *

_They went out to the garden. Mio was lost in her own world, overcome with confusion and uncertainty. She was scared. The drummer let go of her hand and scratched the back of her neck, a nervous habit of hers. Ritsu was very bad at dealing with tension, and always did her best to diffuse it even through drastic measures. But with the current situation she was clueless.

What to do, what to do...the shorter girl rummaged in her pockets desperately, searching for something that would end the awkward silence. Just about anything would do. Her hands closed around an object and she whipped it out without thought. Yes!

"Want some Tic-Tac?" She asked in a slightly desperate tone. Mio jumped a little from the sudden action. Se looked unsure and measured the small plastic box with suspicion. Finally, Mio tentatively reached her hand out and the other lightly tapped the open box on the bassist's palm. Their skin brushed and the drummer couldn't help but notice the taller girl's flinch. It was just for a split second, but it was there. Ritsu was hurt by the gesture, but she knew it was all her fault. She felt like slapping herself silly.

'_I'm the biggest damn hypocrite on the planet.'_ She tried to turn away from Mio but her conscience wouldn't let her. _'Look at her, Miss I-don't-want-Mio-to-be-uncomfortable-so-I-won't-try-anything-funny. She's a mess. All because you were selfish and wanted to have some fun!'_

The bassist really was a mess. "Ritsu, I'm feeling dizzy."

Ritsu bit her lip. She wanted to help the other. She really did. But the question remained: would Mio feel okay with the drummer offering her assistance after everything that happened? Or would it just make things worse? She gave it a try.

"I-I have mom's car. I can take you home." She held in her breath.

"Ok." Mio replied. The short girl exhaled loudly with relief.

"Off we go then." She knew they should notify Sokabe of their early departure, but she just wanted to be out of the place that got them in this situation as fast as possible. Surely a text message could do the job later. '_Yeah, sure. Blame the place. Reeeeally mature, Tainaka._'

The bassist was even more reserved than usual. She was too busy trying to convince herself that all of this was just a fluke. Pity she didn't drink anything at Sokabe-senpai's party, because then Mio could blame the alcohol for all the strange things that took place. Well, actually, once she thought about it, it _was_ pretty hot back there so maybe the drinks of the other people evaporated into the air and she got drunk by breathing it in and- and-

That was just dumb.

Ritsu interpreted her silence as unease and discomfort, and in a way she was right. It just wasn't directed at her. Rather, Mio was more frustrated with herself than the drummer.

The shorter girl ran a hand through her hair. She always felt a slight unease without her headband, and in her present situation the absence of it made her feel even more nervous. They got into the car, the silence weighing heavily on their distressed minds.

Mio was still pretty much out of it while Ritsu also kept busy (apart from the driving) by thinking about their arrival to the other's house. Now, why was it that nothing positive sprang to her mind?

'_Oh God, what if her parents are there?' _She could picture Mrs. Akiyama waiting for them at the door, holding a huge chainsaw and waving it menacingly. Hey, it was possible. Mother of the Dangerous Queen must have some aces- or weapons up her sleeve if anyone messed with her baby girl. Or something like that, anyway.

How should she begin? _'Well excuse me Mrs Akiyama but I kinda forced myself on your daughter because I was horny?_' That would go over really well. Cue steady buzzing of the chainsaw.

"I like lions." Mio blurted out of the blue. Ritsu was oblivious to the double meaning. In fact, it made her worry even more.

_'Oh God, now I've caused Mio brain damage. What the hell!'_ Another thing she could break to her parents._ 'Um hello, it's me again? Forgot to mention another thing. Your daughter's brain patterns strongly resemble that of a carrot. I shall kindly take my leave now. Please refrain from using your weapons!'_

_'It's all your damn fault, Mio. Staring at me like that..._' As if she were _fascinating_ or something. It made Ritsu burn, made her stomach tighten...not unlike the time when she ate that crazy strong mexican chili pepper, a jalapeño ALL BY ITSELF. Not that Mio resembled a chili. But the drummer had to admit, Mio was hot.

_'Ugh that was lame, even for me.'_

"...Though I have always liked spicy food." She voiced out loud.

"What?"

"Nothing. Go back to your lion thing."

"Hey," Mio started with a pensive face. "can you get drunk by breathing in evaporated beer?"

Ritsu's brows knitted together in a frown. Mio was behaving strange.

"Hmm did you accept drinks from anyone at the party? I trust Sokabe but who knows, some bastard could have slipped drugs in them." Ritsu said seriously. She parked the car, though they still weren't at Mio's house, and grabbed the bassist's chin with a worried frown.

The other girl snapped out of her trance with wide eyes. Ritsu's gaze was boring into her, and she felt exposed. She studied the drummers eyes and saw concern in them. Again, the closeness of the intensive amber irises reminded her of honey. She wondered, would Ritsu taste like honey? Or would it be more like her hair color, that rich, warm shade of caramel? Would it be okay to attempt to sneak a little taste? Just out of curiosity.

"Seems fine to me, but you can never be sure."

The bassist felt shocked. Could the other read minds? Or was this a sign of Fate to take action? Even though Mio tried to fight it, she could already feel her eyelids lower and heart-rate increase in anticipation.

Only to have a flashlight blind her.

The drummer grinned. "Your pupils are responsive!" _'So she isn't drugged, thank goodness.'_

"Are you completely stupid!" Embarrassed and enraged Mio equaled a falcon punch. Too bad Ritsu has never bothered to pay attention at math.

She was grinning stupidly, even though the new bump on her head hurt like hell. Now the bassist was acting normal, and that comforted her more than she thought it would. She drove them to their destination – the Akiyama household. Her eye twitched slightly as she calculated yet again the possibilities of Mio's parents owning a weapon and willing to use it if they saw their daughter being upset.

Finally, they arrived. There was a woman checking the mailbox, possibly Mrs. Akiyama. Ritsu gulped.

Mio got out of the car. "Aren't you coming?" She asked.

The drummer was surprised. "Huh?"

"Well," The taller girl averted her eyes. "I told my parents about the time you let me stay over. They made me promise that I'd introduce you to them sometime."

'_Introduce me?_' Ritsu's imagination ran wild. It went along the lines of...-

"_Mom, dad, this is Tainaka Ritsu. Thought I could trust her, then she was practically all over me at Sokabe-senpai's party."_

"_Oh dear. Such actions draw consequences, Tainaka-san. So what do you suggest, Mio-chan?" Her father would ask._

_Mio would narrow her eyes in thought, then an evil grin would spread across her face. "Oh. Where are my manners! Ritsu, allow me to introduce my parents. But surely you've seen them already. Remember the news from yesterday? *Serial killers murdered the owner and employees of popular guitar shop that didn't sell left-handed instruments*? Yep. It was them who did it."_

"_M-Mio I'm sorry I-"_

"_Finish her."_

"_Nooooooo-"_

"Ritsu? Ritsu, are you coming or not? Ritsu!"

"Huh? Oh. Sure, I'll go."

'_Calm down Tainaka, nothing's going to happen._'

As they neared the house, the mother's looks became clearer.

She was very tall and had long hair much like Mio's, though there were quite a few white strands weaved into the overall greying mane. She seemed old for her daughter, so she probably became pregnant with Mio at a later age. It would explain the bassist's normally calm and reserved nature- she must've grown up in a quiet, relaxed atmosphere. The mother's gentle smile further convinced Ritsu of her theory.

That still didn't stop her from eyeing the woman warily though, expecting Mrs. Akiyama to whip out a harmful object at any second. Even if Mio didn't quite seem so upset anymore. One must always be careful.

Especially since Mrs. Akiyama possessed special powers. Ever heard of mother's intuition?

"Welcome back, Mio-chan. And who might this be?" Her voice matched her looks perfectly. It was soft and gentle, unlike Ritsu's mother, whose scream could easily top Sawako-sensei's when she got really excited about something.

"Um, she's Tainaka Ritsu."

"Oh I see! Ritsu-chan, I've heard a lot about you. I'm Akiyama Atsuko."

Ritsu bowed."Pleased to meet you, Akiyama-san."

"There's no need to stay so formal. Atsuko is fine. Would you like some tea, Ritsu-chan?"

'_So her methods are more subtle. Poisoning my drink, eh?_' The drummer thought, amused.

"Well-" She snuck a look at Mio, wondering if the bassist was okay with her staying there a bit more.

"Mama's tea is very good. And she has rice cakes too." The bassist muttered shyly.

'_Rice cake! Wait a second-' _"Mama?"

Mio blushed. "Mother!"

Her mother put on a faux sad expression. "Mother? So that's how it is. Mio-chan, you're so cold."

"No! I meant mama!"

"Y'know, that suits you perfectly."

Mio glowered. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Ritsu took into consideration the stormy grey glare as she thought over her answer.

"T-That you love your mother a lot?" The drummer knew when to back off. Well, sometimes.

Atsuko's smile widened." Well, let's not stand here outside. Come in!"

They entered the house. The girls went to sit at the table while the mother was off to prepare the tea.

Silence.

Ritsu could rarely stand silence.

"Hahh this house could be really creepy at night. It's so quiet."

"What do you mean?" Mio didn't like where this was headed.

"Well, you could hear perfectly every little sound. Like a spider scurrying by or-"

"Don't say things like that!"

"Speaking of spiders, I killed this huge one yesterday. It was as big as my hand and when I hit it –with Satoshi's shoe, of course...there's no way I'd use mine for something like that- there was juice everywhere. Man, it was a nasty sight."

"Ritsu." Mio growled. Sadly, the drummer was too lost in the moment and ignored the danger. It had been stated before that Ritsu knew when to back off. A big fat lie.

"The legs of it were all over the room. Ew. Satoshi thought we should use the vacuum cleaner but I was afraid it's body would get stuck and-"

BAM!

"I will have none of this nonsense at my house."

Ritsu nursed the red mark on her forehead."You're evil."

Mrs. Akiyama brought in the tea and rice cakes. "Here you go girls. Ritsu-chan, what happened to your forehead?"

"Just the regular visit of Mio's fist of destruction."

Atsuko could not picture her sweet daughter doing such a brash action, so she ignored the comment. Her daughter did mention that Ritsu loved to 'fool around', and the mother simply filed it away as an in-joke that she had no chance of understanding.

"So, how is it?"

Ritsu's mouth was still full with the cakes as she tried to utter "Delicious." A grain of rice flew out from her mouth and landed on Mio's cheek, resulting in a twitch of cold grey eyes.

"Ritsu, behave."

The drummer threw back a cheeky "Yes, mom." But she did continue to eat with her mouth closed.

Mrs. Akiyama was truly perplexed. How could Mio-chan find a friend like _that? _The smaller girl seemed so...so...different, to put it lightly.

Sudden noise cut through the momentary quiet that had just settled in.

BAM BARABAM BARABAM!

Needless to say, the residents of the normally peaceful Akiyama household were not used to sudden loud drumbeats interrupting their everyday lives.

Ritsu was. Oblivious to the pair of mother and daughter who looked like they almost had a heart attack, she fished around in her pocket for the source of the sound –her mobile phone.

After the initial shock wore off Mio actually began listening to the tune that felt strangely familiar.

"The Who?"

"YES! Wait, you know them?"

"They're not bad."

"Not bad? Keith Moon is the best!" As their conversation went on, the ringtone featuring "The Ox" by the aforementioned band kept blaring in the background.

"Just pick it up please!" Atsuko requested in a rather tight voice. She wasn't a fan of rock music.

"Ooops yeah, I probably should...Hello?"

_"Captain, we have a crisis!"_

Ritsu gasped. "Report, Yui!"

_"One of my socks is missing!"_

"You called me for that...?"

Yui felt that she was not being taken seriously._ "It's really important! Ui will kill me if I don't find it!"_

The sweet, perfect and ever so loving little sister? Angry at Yui? "Yes, very nice. Well if that was all then-"

* * *

"No! Don't leave me!"

"Sis?"

Yui choked.

"Oh no, she's here! Ricchaaan, help me!" She whined, warm brown eyes sparking with tears.

_"Well, what do you want me to do? You shouldn't have lost it in the first place. Say hi to Ui-chan from my part. See ya!"_

The line went dead.

"Sis!" Ui's voice sounded closer now. There was no escape.

"My ghost shall torment you for eternity, Ricchan." Yui muttered gravely.

"There you are! I've been calling you for a while. And why are you wearing only one sock?"

Uh-oh. Launch distraction in

3-

2-

1.

Yui's face morphed into the epitome of cuteness with the united the power of all things adorable."Hehe~" She chuckled sheepishly.

Ui never stood a chance.

"Aw, you know I can't resist that face. Say, how about I bake you some cookies?"

"Yay!"_ 'Mission accomplished.'_

Ui headed for the kitchen, but midway decided to take a small detour to her room. There she opened the wardrobe to reveal a miniature but detailed Yui-shrine.

She knelt in front of her vast collection of all things Yui, and gingerly took out a woolen sock. The very same one her sister had failed to locate (not that she tried to). One look at the worn, grey piece of clothing instantly put her in a much better mood, and she trotted to the kitchen gleefully, ready to spoil her sister yet again.

* * *

The drummer pocketed her phone with a dramatic roll of her eyes.

"So what happened?"

Ritsu waved her arm nonchalantly. "Yui lost a sock. Thought Ui would kill her when she found out."

The bassist shook her head. "That girl. I'll never understand what goes on in her mind."

"Yeah, right? At times even I can't follow her."

"Maybe because Yui might be a genius, while you're simply an idiot."

Mio's mother was surprised."Mio-chan! We don't call other people like that. It's bad!"

The short girl's grin suggested teases as soon as Mrs. Akiyama was out of hearing range. As if on cue, Atsuko's phone rang and she hurried off to answer it.

Immediately, the predator closed in. "Aw, what a sheltered little girl. Should I dress you in chiffon to make you feel better?"(1)

"What on earth are you talking about?"

Ritsu hugged Mio and patted her head sympathetically. "There, there. I know how hard it must be with your repressed side struggling to break out."

The bassist stopped breathing for a moment. _'No way. Could she possibly kn-'_

"But swearing at and hitting such a charming little being like me won't solve your issues. However, if you do want to be rebellious, I could suggest other, more _pleasant_ things..." Ritsu winked suggestively.

"Why you little...! I'd give you another whack for that but it seems to be ineffective anyway."

"You follow the wrong ways, Mio-chuan. See, discipline is not all about punishing. You can also obtain obedience by the reward system. As for me, I know I'd be much more motivated if I got a _special treat_ for my efforts." She wiggled her eyebrows.

This time Mio did not hesitate to hit her.

"Aww Mio, you're so narrow-minded."

"To avoid further harm, I strongly advise you to shut up."

Mrs. Akiyama came back. She was there for the sake of politeness, for the sake of being a good host but she just had no idea how to initiate a conversation with Mio's strange new friend. So she went for the popular topic that most adults chose in this kind of situation.

"So, Ritsu-chan, how's school?" It seemed like a wrong move to make, especially after watching the drummer's face slowly gain a greenish hue.

"Guhh.."

Mio quickly poured her some tea. "Here, have some more!"

Atsuko saw it as an opportunity to change the subject. "So, how's the tea?"

"It's really good. Bitter, but sweet at the same time."

_'Just like life_' Mio thought. '_Wait-'_

"Lyrics! Oh my God, they're coming!"

"Eh?"

"Ssh! Don't talk to me!" Mio covered her ears and was out of the room quicker than you could say 'jakka jan'.

"What was that all about?"

"My daughter really is a talented writer, isn't she?"

* * *

Ritsu clutched the piece of paper in her hands with an uncertain expression.

"So, how is it?"

"Choose Friend or Love... Light or Deep

All these feelings and emotions, you'd pass out to the panic they can do" Ritsu read out aloud.

She raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Doesn't take much for you to pass out anyway."

Mio snapped away the paper from the smaller one's hands. "Fine then, I won't ask your opinion anymore." She said haughtily.

"Seriously, what did you expect?"

"You're right, what could I expect from you? I'm sorry I'm not as lyrical as The Who!" She bit out, then mockingly started to sing one of the band's songs.

"Why don't you all f-f-f-fade away!"(2)

Instead of angering the drummer, it had the opposite effect. She bellowed out a hearty laugh. It spurred the now smiling Mio to continue further.

"Don't try to dig what we all s-s-s-say!"

Ritsu joined in. "Talkin' 'bout my generation!"

Both of them chuckled. The caramel haired girl gave a friendly pat on Mio's back. "That's it, I'm swapping Yui to you as my new karaoke partner!"

"Really? Uh,I mean, what makes you think I'd go with you?" The bassist replied in a forced gruff tone.

"Who wouldn't? Anyway, I got your point. Stick to your cutesy lyrics, they suit you much better. At least it doesn't have any fluff or frills in it."

The bassist discreetly slipped the other paper in her hands to the back pocket of her jeans –the sheet containing the lyrics of 'Hello Little Girl'. Better not let Ritsu see that then, she would throw a fit.

Again, the drummer's ringtone blared. Instead of picking it up, the short haired girl nodded along to the beat. The other got annoyed at the display.

"Will you just pick it up!"

"Hehe~, sorry." She lifted the device to her ear. "Who's this?"

_"What's with that nonchalant tone, young lady! You should've been home hours ago!"_

Uh-oh. "Mother dearest! How I have missed your presence!"

_"Quit the sugarcoating! Why aren't you here then, if you miss me so much?"_

"Cruel fate keeps your loving daughter away from basking in your light! How tragic!"

_"I'm going to count to three."_

"Alright, alright. I'm done now."

_"Good. Get over here. Now. You have cleaning duty."_

"Whaaaat? But it's Satoshi's turn!"

_"Yes, and you should've been at home by now. Things change, Ritsu-chan~. Oh and by the way, Satoshi sends his thanks for taking over his turn."_

"I'll kick his ass when I get home." She muttered.

_"Watch your language, miss!"_ Mrs. Tainaka shouted loudly, making her daughter's ears ring.

"But I have to show him who's the real boss here!"

_"By using profanities?"_

"What's profane in an 'ass'? You have it, I have it. In fact, I'd say in some cases it can turn out to be a marvellous piece of art!"

_"Stop blabbering nonsense!"_

But Ritsu didn't feel like backing down just yet.

"If you think ass is inappropriate, I'd worry more about the stuff that come out of it! Now 'shit' is a real swearword! It stinks! Literally!"

_"Alright, that's enough!"_

"It's unfair!"

_"What is this I hear? One task isn't challenging enough? Don't worry,I can remedy that."_

The drummer did her best impression of a whining puppy. "No more please."

_"Ok. I give you 10 minutes to get here."_

"Yes, yes." Ritsu mumbled in a downhearted tone. "Bye."

She turned to the taller girl. "Well, I better get going then."

Mio walked her to the door. On their way there Ritsu bid farewell to the mother who replied in kind with her mild, pleasant voice. When the door closed, Atsuko could not help a small, relieved sigh escape her. _'Fuhh, it's over.'_

_

* * *

_

That night the bassist lay in her bed, pensive.

She mulled over her recent lyrics, feeling like a gladiator worn down from numerous fights with the toughest one yet to come. That one lion will be her downfall.

"Usa-chan, what's happening to me?"

The white plush bunny stared at her with shiny button eyes. Usa-chan wasn't very talkative today. (Was she ever?)

* * *

**Story notes: **

(1) "Should I dress you in chiffon to make you feel better?" - Reference to Hello Little Girl's lyrics, in which Mio sings "If you dress the girl that tends to run away in soft chiffon, will she become a little stronger?"

(2) They're singing 'My Generation' by The Who

* * *

**OMAKE**

"Tsumugi-ojousama, your tea is ready."

Mugi wasn't pleased. "I asked my tea to be served at 14:00. Look at the clock."

"I apologi-"

"Look at the clock! Good. Now, what does it read?"

The butler gupled.

"Well?"

"14:00:20."

"Exactly. Now, we have been talking for 16 seconds but that still makes you 4 SECONDS LATE!"

"Tsumu-"

"SHUT UP AND GET OUT OF MY SIGHT! YOU'RE FIRED YOU LAZY LITTLE Đ%*!"

"No, please-"

"Leave quickly, or I will send my dogs on you."

The butler could hear the faint growling of Dobermans in the distance. But he had a family to support, many hungry mouths waiting to be fed.

So he decided to try once more.

"How will I be able to fund my family?"

"You should have thought about that before you abandoned your duties. Begone."

* * *

The butler was lucky to find a new job not soon after the incident.

"Oi idiot, there's another spider to your left! Left, I say!" He heard a cackle. He couldn't see anything because his new employer insisted that it was more fun if he was blindfolded while he tried to kill any incoming spiders.

He steered to the left, and promptly met the wall.

"Ooops, I meant right! OH it's there, the hairy little bastard. Hit it! Hit it! To the right!" Ritsu yelled.

The butler knew this was going to be a long night.

* * *

**AN: **As always, feel free to share your opinion. Or anything that comes to your mind. Heck, you could say "Wow this chapter sucked." then throw in a random thing about yourself like "By the way, I like mineral water." Seriously. Anything goes! XD


	7. Chapter 7

Darn, I wanted to post this yesterday but I was dead tired. Still am.

First of all, I just realized that I forgot to mention that chapter 5's omake was thanks to Marianamqb musing along the lines of "What would Ritsu's parents think if they find Ritsu hugging Mio on THEIR bed while they're asleep?" So I hope you'll forgive me for not mentioning this earlier :( I'm worse than Yui sometimes.

Second, I just started college. I don't know how the workload will interfere with updates. Next chapter shouldn't be a problem, though. Got tons of ideas lined up for it!

Third, starting from now, anonymous reviewers should feel free to ask questions or whatever, and I'll answer them before each chapter if it's ok with you all. So skip the review reply section if you're not anonymous and ENJOY!

**Review replies:**

**ewan - **more Mitsu fluff at your service :)

**Gin-tan** - you are spot on! As for the hot scenes, I've been planning to incorporate one into the next chappie, so bear with me please.

**hateLuv - **nope, the butler is just an average guy who worked for Mugi, got fired, then started working for Ritsu... Mortal Kombat? I didn't even think about that! xD

**Christine - **Thanks! I bet she does, I remember at least two different colours in the anime apart from her yellow one -but pink? Yep that really would be Fuwa Fuwa! xD

* * *

Mio stared at the ceiling, lounging on her bed in a rare moment of laziness. Ritsu had left hours ago, dusk beginning to paint the sky a blue-grey colour the exact shade of the bassist's eyes.

She felt like any average teenager would, facing an identity crisis. Of course things were more complicated in her case. Mio inherited a special trait from her father, a trait that ran in the line of Akiyamas.

A drive to carry everything to it's extreme.

It was obvious in anything she did, it shadowed her every little action and, as much as she tried to keep this _monster _of passion under the surface, it would burst out at any given opportunity. Like the fearsome Kraken lurking underwater, only to rise unexpectedly, accompanied by the tidal waves it caused.

For example, when someone teased her, when someone scared her it was not an experience easily forgotten. No, the way Mio reacted was truly attention grabbing and memorable.

Who would curl into a ball by the mere mention of blood?

Who would outright scream and hit when being teased?

Why did Ritsu love to tease her so much?

Her reactions were interesting and intense. Never had she failed to disappoint.

Or let's view another example. Music.

Even though Mio was so shy, why could she perform perfectly during a performance? Although she had no opportunity to be on stage with HTT yet, she did go to guitar competitions when she was smaller, and always managed to pull through effortlessly, enough to secure a place amongst the first three.

She forgot her nervousness simply because whenever she played, she put her heart and soul into it. The world would disappear, the crowd would cease to exist whenever her fingers had strings under their hold.

Even schoolwork was no exception. The bassist always maintained her grades well above average as she handled tasks in a meticulous and precise way, not pausing in her studying till she reached a certain level of perfection.

No, no. Mio wasn't just the Kraken, Mio was the _sea itself_.

Right now, this aspect of her personality, this trait to act out everything to it's edge with a passion was what weighed her down in facing the issue that was currently bugging her.

Admitting any sort of attraction to Ritsu was not an option.

Denial was. Denial powered by this special Akiyama family speciality. The result?

A vehement negation of anything that could point to the fact that she found the drummer pleasing to the eye, that she belonged to a group of people that were attracted to their own sex.

Denial. With the force of the sea.

She wasn't a lesbian. No. For God's sake, she was just like any other teenager with a hefty dose of hormones. Yes, that was it. Going to an all girl's school. Of course she would find a girl a tiny bit ...attractive. (Never mind the fact that there had been boys at the party too.)

Teenage hormones target anything in times of desperation. For example, if Mio had been living in a botanical garden at the time she bloomed into adulthood, she might have found a cactus sexy.

She shivered. Alright, maybe that was going a bit far.

It didn't help her frustration that her two most prized possessions were technically 'female'. Usa-chan was. And let's don't get started on dear Elizabeth. Seriously, the case felt similar to the tough biker men whose motorcycles were the most precious 'women' in their lives.

_'No, no, Elizabeth is nothing like that,'_ the bassist thought. _'my Elizabeth is so much better.'_

Just thinking about it prompted her to walk over to the aforementioned instrument and give it a hug. Mio wasn't as openly affectionate as Yui, but she sure knew how to treat her bass well. Especially since, unlike Yui, she actually cleaned and cared for it in terms of maintenance.

Usa-chan stared blankly at her owner as the tall girl tenderly caressed the Fender. Then her world shook as she was picked up into the air and rubbed against the soft cheek of the Master.

Another interesting fact about Mio was that she had a fixation with Fuwa Fuwa.

And in her fierce denial she failed to realize yet another crucial thing. Her love for all things Fuwa Fuwa extended to living beings as well. Well, of course. Who wouldn't find a kitten cute? Or Ton-chan?

No, no. The main point was that it extended to _living beings _as well, which included _humans. _And which gender had more Fuwa Fuwa qualities overall?

Exactly.

So, even if unconsciously, Mio harbored an appreciation for girls. Their soft curves, softer lips, silky hair and smooth skin felt much more appealing to her eyes than the harsh masculinity and rough edges of the male species.

Too bad she was adamantly refusing to come to this conclusion by herself. Usa-chan's silent stare somehow made her feel guilty. Eyebrows slanted together in a frown as she reached over and turned the plush rabbit away from her.

* * *

Ritsu loved to run.

It was a perfect way to use all the excess energy, especially when it was too late for drumming or if Satoshi needed the peace and quiet to study for a test on the following day.

She felt free. It was about the only time the drummer didn't bother to put on a headband, letting her bangs fall down, loving the way the wind tousled the soft caramel locks as she sprinted. Ritsu let her thoughts roam free, focusing on the incident with Mio at Sokabe's party.

Leaving issues unresolved to rot was not the her style, she was proud to take things head on.

So then, time to focus on the current problem.

Why did she act so bold? She knew Mio was fragile. Sensitive.

'_Sensual.' _

Ritsu shook her head. '_No, I shouldn't think like that. It's what got me in trouble in the first place._'

Trouble. What exactly happened, to label it 'trouble'?

Amber eyes flashed, recalling the events. Ritsu's nostrils flared in excitement, painting in her mind the girl whose sharp, cold features could set her on fire. Right now, the running felt as if she were back there, dancing with the same energy and vigor.

Unlike Mio, who at the time was so stiff. All she had to do was to _feel _the music, the pulse. Instead, the bassist closed herself off, deaf to the world yet not blind, sensing every heavy stare, every fleeting glance that passed over her and tensing up more each time.

So it all started with Ritsu wanting to show her how to _feel_. Somewhere along her 'tutoring' she lost the line between enjoying to help the other with something and simply enjoying herself.

The drummer's imagination was very strong. Reconstructing the scene with it's every minuscule detail felt effortless. She was not running on the pavement anymore, she was twisting her body to the beat and persuading Mio to do the same.

Luckily it was early in the morning, the street was almost empty. No one heard her whisper "Relax" softly to herself, or as she envisioned – to the bassist.

And then, yet again, she leaned in to plant that kiss that wasn't quite one but still-

'_Shit! Shit shit shit! I can't believe I did it again! And this time it wasn't even real! Idiot!_'

Her pace shifted, breathing quickened as irritation spurred her on.

'_Geez.' _

So what's going to happen now? She had to give Mio an apology, at the very least. But how?

'_Hey, I'm sorry for not kissing you on the lips like I originally wanted._' It was true, but there was no way she could say that to the bassist.

Hmm. It was hard to construct sentences like this. Ritsu was a spontaneous person and had never planned out what to say in advance. She just went with the moment and voiced whatever came to her mind. In this case that was extremely dangerous and risky. She could easily blurt out her actual thoughts when speaking to Mio.

'_Sorry for the thing at the party. I guess I mistook your frightened stare for a heated glance._' That wouldn't be a great thing to say either, even though Ritsu still believed that what she had seen really looked like desire. But there was no way, not with Mio. Right? The party's atmosphere had probably clouded her judgement, twisting it to see what she wanted to instead of what it actually was. Strange.

'_I tried to hold myself back but damn, Mio. Your body is perfect. Especially your boo-_' Yes, even something like _that _could slip out if she really wasn't careful.

So, this was going to be quite the challenge.

She headed for the park. On her way there she spotted Yui walking in her school uniform, slice of toast in hand, and went over to greet the guitarist.

"Hey, Yui!"

Yui looked suspiciously at the drummer."Who are you?"

Ritsu remembered that her bangs were down, and pulled them back up for a second, letting Yui identify her properly.

"Oh, it's Ricchan!" Yui scratched her cheek sheepishly.

Ritsu raised an eyebrow. "Why are you wearing your school uniform?"

"Eh?"

"It's Saturday."

"Is it? ...That's great!" Yui's face took on a thoughtful expression. "It would be nice to forget this more often. The surprise happiness is even better than the anticipation!"

"Yui-chan, your wisdom amazes me sometimes!"

"I should write a book about my thoughts!"

"That's going a bit far..."

"You're mean." The guitarist whined. "Even yesterday when you just hung up on the phone."

"You're still alive, aren't you?"

"Well yes, but-"

"Then I fail to see a problem."

Yui pouted and childishly refused to pay any more attention to the traitor. Instead, she swept her gaze around them, hoping to spot something interesting.

Amidst the few dark haired people that wandered about and the overall dull colour of the street one blonde haired girl stood out like a sore thumb.

"Mugi-chan!" Yui announced enthusiastically.

"Where?" Ritsu's eyes scanned their surroundings and immediately spotted said person. "Aha!"

"Captain, let's move in!"

"Approach with caution!" They neared their comrade stealthily, hiding behind the occasional lamppost along the way. Even though Yui never gained any weight and Ritsu was the thinnest amongst the girls, a lamppost wasn't quite enough to provide them cover. Not that it bothered the two ninja-apprentices. It didn't seem to bother Mugi either, who didn't even notice the approaching danger. She was too busy staring at something...a shop's display? What could be so interesting as to gather the ojou-sama's attention?

Guitarist and drummer sneaked closer. They were already behind Tsumugi, ready to pounce. Then they noticed what she was eyeing so curiously.

No shop products or fancy accessories. Instead, the clear blue irises were peeking through a relatively small window. Inside, there was-

"Ballett?" Yui asked, not really expecting this.

Tsumugi turned around at the familiar voice. "Yui-chan? And Ricchan?"

Both were looking at her with unreadable expressions. Then the assault began.

"You want to learn ballett?"

"Don't leave us!"

"Mugi-chaaaan, please stay with the band! We need your cakes!"

Ritsu stared at Yui. "Seriously, is that all you can think of? What about her tea! That's even better!"

"Ah yes!" The brunette turned to adress Mugi again. "Mugi-chan, why would you want to leave us? Is it Ricchan? I know she can be an idiot sometimes."

"You're the one to say that!"

The blonde shook her head. "Oh, no! It's nothing like that. I just...well, I have always admired artists. Watching them perform is a pleasure."

Yui glanced at the girls in the ballett class. "But they are just stretching."

Mugi smiled. Her gentle features softened what was actually a very pleased expression._ 'That's the best part, Yui-chan._'

"The fruit of their labour, the actual performance is so much more enjoyable to watch after knowing how much effort and hard work they put into it." The blonde explained patiently.

While speaking to Yui, her clear blue eyes kept darting back to the dancers. '_Oh wow, Eri-san is amazingly flexible today._'

The guitarist nodded, deep in thought. "Whoa. I never thought about it that way before."

Ritsu was simply enjoying the company of her dear friends. Though two were missing.

But she had the perfect plan to bring them all together. The idea was mad, although it would achieve her goal perfectly.

"Hey," She started. "how about a practice session?"

Several questions and suspicious stares followed, and when it was sure that the being in front of them indeed identified as Ritsu and wasn't an alien impostor sent to observe humanity, Mugi considered the proposal only to agree to it a second later.

Yui rang up Azusa and spent a good chunk of time explaining to the kouhai that yes, there will be practice _on a Saturday_, and yes, it was the drummer who made such a suggestion.

Even though the pigtailed girl was still skeptical, she eagerly latched onto the opportunity. At times Azusa worried about being the only one who cared how their performance would turn out. Apart from Mio. How could Mio-senpai tolerate this behaviour? Especially with the nearing school festival. Well, nevermind. Ritsu-senpai was finally acting her age and taking control.

It took her less than 8 minutes to arrive. The journey was normally 20 minutes long. When things like a possible practice sprang up, Azusa moved faster than the speed of light. Or faster than her light, slow walk, at the very least.

"I guess I'll take the role of a martyr and call Mio." The drummer said, lifting the mobile phone to her ear a mere second later. Mugi thought she saw eagerness, but whether it really was there remained a mystery.

_"Hello? Who's this?"_

Ritsu grinned. "Your place in 10 minutes. Open the door or the hostage dies."

"_Ritsu?_" What was that idiot up to again? Hostage?

Mio heard Azusa yell.

"Senpai, this is not funny!" The drummer had yanked one of the kouhai's pigtails. Yui gave the same treatment to the other. Then they both kept simultaneously pulling at them.

"Somebody help meeee!" Azusa screamed.

_"Azusa? Oi, what's going on there? Ritsu!"_

"We're just practicing rhythm with Yui. Anyway, we'll be there soon."

_"I'm having a bath. But I'll leave the door open."_

"Alright."

* * *

True to her word, the bassist left the front door unlocked. The girls took a seat in the living-room and waited patiently for Mio to finish her bath.

There was a strategically placed fruit bowl in the living room, meaning that wherever you looked, it was sure to be in your line of sight. Azusa's stomach noticed the trick and responded in kind by growling loudly. The kouhai blushed, while the other three persuaded her to pick something from the bowl with smiles on their faces.

Azusa reached a decision, extending her hand to grab a nice red apple. She munched on it shyly, with the smallest bites possible. It was sweet.

Yui watched the apple slowly disappear under the kouhai's care. She hummed softly under her breath, thinking. The apple was born from a flower, right? So Azunyan was technically eating a flower?

The brunette took out an orange for herself and slowly started peeling it. It's skin wasn't something you could eat, after all.

Wait a minute- skin! Yui was ruthlessly skinning an orange! That has been a flower once! Yui was skinning an innocent flower!

Her face gained a sickened green hue. Just how many oranges did she mutilate for her own selfish reasons? She was a monster!

Her disgust and sadness clearly showed. Azusa noticed something was up and turned fully to check what was wrong this time. Her ire evaporated as soon as she saw the miserable state the brunette was in.

Yui was basically a synonym of happiness and childlike enthusiasm! The world was not ready to witness the sorrow of such an innocent creature.

"Azu-nyaaan" The brunette whined.

Yet Azusa had no idea how to comfort her. Yui's thoughts ran on a completely different track, one that the kouhai had absolutely no chance of understanding. Her senpai seemed like such a simple being, but when you really thought about the stupid things she said, there was a twisted logic behind it.

Following a 'Yui thought process' was not easy at all. The unique complexity of her character and mind could prove to be impossible to grasp by a down to earth person like Azusa herself.

"But Yui, if you don't eat the orange it will feel lonely." And just with that one sentence, Ritsu solved the crisis.

It was times like these that the kouhai felt envy bubble up inside her. Even though Azusa never showed it outwardly, she desperately wished to understand this enigma, this Hirasawa Yui. On some occasions she longed for that dumbness that would shed light on the way the brunette worked.

Ritsu jumped up from her sitting position. "All this waiting is getting on my nerves. I'm going to fetch her."

Initially, she wanted to knock but decided against it. Surprising Mio was more fun. So Ritsu barged in, only to catch the bassist in the process of putting on her top, clad in jeans and a bra.

Mio was not the only one surprised. Ritsu stood there, mouth agape, caught off-guard by the situation and also by Mio's admirable proportions. She was jolted out of her stupor by a scream.

"GET OUT!"

Ritsu instantly covered her eyes, her face as red as Mio's, chanting "Sorry! Sorry!" as she ran out of the room.

Minutes later the Dangerous Queen marched down the stairs –this time fully clothed- demanding retribution.

"Well," said Mugi "if we apply the ancient law of Hammurabi, –eye for an eye- then Ricchan should present herself to Mio in the same state of undress. I think it's a fair solution."

"Okay then." Ritsu, who wasn't shy to expose her body (after all, it was like being in a swimsuit, right?) began removing her polo shirt.

"What do you think you're doing?" The drummer didn't have to be shy at all, Mio made up for both of them anyway. Panicked, she hit Ritsu on the top of her head. All for the greater good.

With Ritsu's strip-tease show sabotaged, Tsumugi felt like she was on the verge of crying. Azusa noticed her bandmate's crestfallen face mixed with something else and deduced that it must've been that *something* again, although she wished she knew what exactly. Seeing Azunyan staring intently at Mugi made Yui jealous and she decided to get back Azunyan's attention by a method that seemed to be very effective, as was demonstrated by Ritsu and Mio.

"Azunyan, look!" She also began to remove her top. Azusa yanked it back down.

"What are you doing, Yui-senpai? Girls shouldn't start undressing in public just like that!"

'_Wouldn't that be nice.' _ Mugi thought dreamily.

"But, but Ricchan did it too!" Yui pointed at the drummer.

"Ritsu-senpai has no shame!"

"I'll take that as a compliment, Nakano." Ritsu glowered.

"I believe we have forgotten our main purpose." Mugi looked at the bassist. "Mio-chan, we were wondering if you could come over with us to my house. We wish to practice for the upcoming festival. "

Mio struggled to pay attention to Mugi, as her mind was still clouded with embarassment and anger.

'_Stupid Ritsu.'_ "Sure, Mugi. Thanks for the offer."

* * *

Practice went smoothly. Well, as smooth as it could get with HTT.

"Ritsu, pay attention! The drums are fast again!"

"You sure that it's not the bass that is slow?"

"Azunyan, do you like this little snail-thing? Because it's at the beginning of every line."

"Eh? That's a G-clef!"

"Shall I prepare some tea?"

The usual antics calmed Mio down enough to forget her previous embarrassment. After their session finished, the girls packed up and bid farewell to Mugi, heading their separate ways.

Mio felt a small tug on her sleeve. It was Ritsu.

"Hey," The drummer started in a low voice. "let's walk home together? I wanted to have a word with you."

She seemed serious, which was rare. The bassist nodded. "Alright."

Their steps echoed softly against the pavement. The sun slowly finished it's descent into the horizon, cooling the previously searing temperature to mild warmth. Grey eyes kept glancing at her companion. Didn't she wish to talk about something?

The shorter girl seemed...off. Mio had no trouble keeping up with her pace, something she usually struggled with. That couldn't be a good sign. Also, Ritsu's gaze was firmly fixated onto the ground. The shorter girl never did that normally, staring at the grey path would bore her to death. Was her mind preoccupied enough not to care?

And since when has she become adept at reading the other? Not that it was hard. But the fact that she was so ready to notice these things unsettled her a bit.

All the anticipation was wearing her patience thin. What did Ritsu want? And did it have something to do with the lack of her usual cheerful self?

If so, did Mio really want to hear it?

Not that her present state was that much better. The drummer shouldn't leave her hanging like this. But no way in hell was the taller girl going to speak up first. Rather than assuming control of a situation, she always let Fate decide what to do next.

However it looked like Fate had no intention of moving things along.

'_Fine, I'll wait 10 seconds more and then I'll ask.'_

Those seconds passed away surprisingly fast. Too fast.

'_Better wait 15 seconds more. It's my lucky number, after all.'_

'_Uhm, another 5 won't hurt.'_

'_Just a little bit!'_

"Ne,"

Mio yelped. Lost in her internal procrastination, Ritsu's voice took her by surprise.

The shorter girl offered an apologetic grin. "Sorry, didn't mean to startle you." _'Well, not this time.'_

Mio hummed. "S-So, what did you want to talk about?"

'_Want? Who said I wanted this?'_ The drummer scratched her cheeck nervously. "I-It's about Megumi-san's party."

The taller girl tensed up. She did NOT want to revisit that. Already, images flooded into the forefront of her mind-

"_C'mon, let's dance!"_

"_Let's give them a show, neh?"_

"_Relax."_

-accompanied by a multitude of sensations that the memories provoked.

The overall effects painted Mio's cheeks into a lovely shade of ripened tomatoes.

"Huh." Was her intelligent, thought-over response.

'_I can't think about that. I did not find Ritsu attractive!' _She sneaked a glance at the other, then snapped her head to the opposite side. _'I still do not find her attractive! Come on, Mio! Think!'_

So she did. _'I didn't even notice her denim shorts. Does she run regularly or something? Because those calves seem perfect- NO! Idiot!'_

She needed to snap out of it, and quick.

"Mio, are you okay?"

Real quick.

'_Imagine you grew up in a botanical garden-'_ She chanted to herself. '_-where everything is nice and green and beautiful-'_

Beautiful calves.

'_-NO! Sexy cactuses! Wait, that isn't good either.'_

Smooth legs.

'_Think about the time when someone forgot to flush the toilet at school and there was this huge piece of-'_

"Oh God, that was disgusting."

Ritsu knew she made Mio uncomfortable at that time but the remark hurt her. Was it that repulsing? "Really?"

"It's not that! I was thinking about something."

"Thinking, huh." The drummer's crestfallen face said it all.

"I mean it. There was nothing disgusting about what happened at the party!" Mio protested vehemently.

She realized the strangeness of her response as soon as it left her mouth. It was an interesting thing to say. Certainly, wouldn't a straight person be at least slight bit unsettled by what had transpired?

...Unless they liked it? In that case, we wouldn't be talking about a straight person anymore.

"Seriously?"

Mio was stuck.

"Ehh, it did unnerve me a bit." But probably not for the reasons Ritsu thought.

"Yeah, that's why I wanted to talk to you. I-" She took a deep breath. "I honestly don't know what got into me back then. I'm sorry for acting like that."

The bassist could hear the sincerity ring clear in the other's voice. Truth be told, it was not only Ritsu's fault. Had she not followed along, they wouldn't have gotten so far. Yes. It's not like Mio had been screaming at Ritsu to get away from her. She felt guilty, felt that she should apologise too.

But that would mean admitting to facts the bassist was not ready to face yet.

'_You went so far because I let you.'_

She was a coward.

"Let's just forget it." She said in a nonchalant tone. "I guess the atmosphere got to us then."

The shorter one let out a big sigh. "Atmosphere. I guess you could call it that. It's just...do you even notice how gorgeous you are?" _'What?'_

Mio echoed her thoughts. "What?"

'_I can't believe I let that slip out.'_ "Ah-Uhm- Objectively speaking, of course!"

The bassist was blushing like there was no tomorrow.

"R-really?"

Ritsu cursed herself for her error. She failed to notice that yet again, Mio's reaction to her comment was odd. The taller girl looked more flattered than annoyed or repulsed.

The drummer nodded. Well, she already fell into her own trap, there's no use trying to smooth it over. "Mmm. Especially your eyes. You have these small silver freckles in your grey irises. Never seen such a colour before."

One could only notice those minuscule freckles if they were in a close enough proximity to spot them.

Not many people detected it. Not because they didn't care, but because Mio only let a handful of people enter her personal space.

The bassist let out a nervous chuckle. "You're the one to speak? Yours are practically molten gold."

"Are they?" Ritsu scratched her shoulder. "Bleh, all this complimenting is making me itch. By the way, why is it so widespread to compare eye colour to precious stones or metals?"

Mio decided to humour her. "Well, because those are, as the name suggests, precious. Valuable."

"But it's starting to become overused and unimaginative. And doesn't it freak you out when you picture it? Someone with, say, rubies or emeralds for eyes? How lame would that be?"

"It doesn't bother me at all. In fact, I like it."

"Hah, what else should I expect from you?"

"But it's true. It became overused for a reason. It works."

"Still, wouldn't some variety be nice?"

"Depends."

"Yeah, you're probably right. And it's not as easy as it sounds, I guess. Your eyes are a tricky example." Ritsu's intense amber gaze bore into Mio's irises.

"Uhm..are they?"

The shorter girl leaned back from Mio's face. In turn, the bassist let out a small sigh of relief.

"Yeah, even though I keep searching for similes, it is always the same things that pop into my mind. Grey and silver mainly. Or storm clouds. I can't think of anything random. Oh wait- grey like a wolf's fur!"

"That's not exactly romantic, is it?"

"Oho, so you want me to be romantic? Mio-chuan, all you had to do was ask."

"I meant it objectively!" The bassist protested.

"Of course." Ritsu's patronizing grin only served to irritate Mio.

"You're the one who started it." She stated childishly.

"I'm just trying to boost your self-confidence. You have to realize your features."

It was then that Ritsu paused a little, replaying their conversation so far. Even though she was distracted before, now she calmed down enough to think things through.

And then it clicked. Something really was off with Mio. Either that, or she was a very liberal person who didn't care if a lesbian friend just admitted to finding them attractive. But come on, this is Mio! She frets over every minuscule thing!

Her instincts were trying to tell her something, she did not know what exactly. But she had a hunch. The drummer felt like a bloodhound on a fresh trail of scent.

And Ritsu, being the daring person she was, decided to take the gamble.

"Seriously, Mio. You look amazing." She said slowly, making sure to articulate every word clearly while keeping her eyes trained on Mio like a hawk, searching for a reaction. Her primary targets were the taller girl's expressive eyes.

As if reading her train of thought, the bassist averted her gaze to the side, making sure her companion didn't catch a glimpse. "T-Thank you, I guess."

Mio blushed. What's with all the compliments? Was the other deliberately trying to unnerve her? Or was she sincere? Either way, once she got over her initial nervousness and embarrassment, it felt quite pleasing.

Ritsu was disappointed at missing her target. Still, it did not dampen her spirits. Something was up, she felt it. It made her spine tingle and gave her a burst of energy.

Made her feel playful.

"Subjectively." She finished her earlier comment, and winked cheekily at Mio. This time Ritsu did not pause and wait for the other's response, the pleasant tingling assuring her that she was on the right track.

The taller girl watched on, speechless, as Ritsu skipped away to her house without a care in the world.

* * *

TROLLOMAKE

Yui was walking down the street when suddenly-

"GITAH!"

* * *

Hope you liked it!


	8. Chapter 8

Several lines were crossed. Feel free to maul me.

Also, does the so-called 'hot scene' even qualify as one? I'm not entirely sure xD ...But don't kill me yet, you get plenty of progress going on.(And plenty of bullshi- *ran over by car*) Usa-chan has picked up the pace and- and is not really doing anything, as usual.

Still, I'd be glad if you gave me your opinion, as it'd help me know whether I did it right or wrong.

Half-note, as much as I've tried, the POVs fail me. I guess I can't slip out of the all-knowing narrator who constantly jumps between the characters' viewpoint. I know it's bad, I tried to make it less horrible.

**Review replies:**

**ewan **- Glad you did! I hope you'll enjoy this too then! *evil chuckle*

**hateLuv - **Sebastian! xD Sounds great. And I talk out loud sometimes at my computer too, haha. A sexy cactus is called 'sexy' because it is! So there's nothing wrong with you! ;D Good to hear that you like my humor, there is more stupidity happening in this chap too! *runs away*

**Christine - **I don't know what came to me when I wrote that. xD As for Ritsu, yeah, she's only perceptive with Mio because she pays extra attention to her as one would to their crush. I bet she could easily figure out Mugi's ...goggle secret if she really put her mind to it. But Mio keeps distracting her. ;P And thank you! (Oh and here you go, pink headband appears :) )

**Gin-tan - **Wow, thanks! I was trying to aim for that slice-of-life feeling that K-On has, and I'm glad that you think I got the atmosphere right. :D Here's more crack, and that ..well, I'm not too sure with the hot scene. But I tried. It's just hard, because I'm trying to make it believable,keep the girls in character. Hope I succeeded.

**m (twice, lol)** - I'm so glad you find it enjoyable! :D Big progress definitely happens here, I've dropped the bomb! College is treating me nicely, thanks. :3 As for the 'update now' - well, technically I've updated right now.. *shot*

**kuso - **ASAP ;D More fluff, more ...stuff. :)

Longest chapter yet! So you get the longest EEEEENJOOOOOOY! ;D

So, EEEEEEENJOOOOOOOOY 10,000+ words!

* * *

"Hey, Satoshi! Ready for inspection yet?"

"5 more minutes, sis!"

"Ok! Don't forget to add that spoonful of cinnamon!"

"Roger, captain!"

Ritsu's little brother enlisted the help of the best cook at the Tainaka household –his sister. He was planning to bake some cookies for a high school sweetheart, and swallowed his pride to ask for help.

Satoshi knew he had no other choice...without any supervision the most he could make was a batch of burnt, black somethings that were most certainly inedible. Ritsu jokingly dubbed them as 'charcoal'.

'_Aw, Satoshi's growing up so fast.' _She thought fondly.

The drummer scratched her head, then winced. She forgot about that nice bump that was still there from the bassist's abuse. One incident out of the hundred.

Ritsu grinned. _'Mio likes it rough, doesn't she?'_

The drummer let a small chuckle escape as she thought back on yesterday's events. She hadn't seen Mio's face after dropping the "Subjectively" but she could definitely picture it!

Her thoughts slowly etched a fierce scowl onto her face, not unlike the ones she wore during a drum battle. It was an expression of both deep concentration and determination.

No, she hadn't seen Mio's reaction. Not when she had complimented her, and not after her last word.

She was treading into dangerous grounds, and blindly. The drummer berated herself for thinking so positively earlier. There was no guarantee that the small signs she noticed indeed meant that Mio was... could possibly be...

But Ritsu had to find out. And she knew just the way.

What? Already?

Doesn't it take at least days to construct a plan? To find ideas, to formulate careful tactics?

Yes, it does. It takes days at the very least to create a _new_ plan.

It takes a second to decide on following one that _has already been done_ before. Especially since she had experienced first-hand that it worked.

It went exactly like when she was teasing and testing Mio.

Testing Mio's limits by constantly freaking her until she snapped. Yes, she usually did that in a very harsh way. This time, something so forceful just won't do.

But, the basics were essentially the same of her idea. She just had to drop more ...delicate hints and wait for the bassist to snap- and thus show her true colours, whatever those were. Hopefully a whole rainbow of them.(1)

The danger in the whole operation was the timing, and choosing the correct weapons.

Let's say you poke someone with a needle-sharp pencil. You might make your target bleed. Then, most probably, your target will burst into white-hot flames of anger, yell at you and/or hit you, then burn out just as quickly. _'Okay, you poked me with a pencil once. There better not be a next time.' _And that's it. They'll probably forget the incident soon after it happened.

Ritsu didn't want Mio to forget. She needed a lasting impact.

Metaphorically speaking, the drummer will continuously prod at Mio with a _blunt _pencil. The bassist won't even notice at first, then it'll start to annoy her because she will be poked for a looong time _in the same place _with the _same damn blunt pencil_. That'll probably leave a bruise that won't be forgotten for a good while.

Ritsu did not want to create a sudden eruption of flames that would probably die as fast as they had come. No.

She was going to stoke this fire carefully. Make sure it continued to _burn _for quite some while.

Shouldn't she feel more hesitant about diving in? There were several risks, and plenty of opportunities where the operation could fail.

The drummer might have felt more afraid if there was more on the line –if they were best friends or something. But they weren't. She was willing to sacrifice this fragile friendship that they shared, if it could even be called that, in order to reach something much more promising.

Bit selfish, neh?

Ritsu wanted this.

But did Mio want this?

There was no way to know yet. And if the bassist didn't harbour any of those more passionate thoughts or feelings or _want, _then the drummer's plan might spoil everything for Mio. Assuming that the taller girl enjoyed their friendship, throwing something like _this _out in the open and between them would forever change things, either one way or another.

That friendship, that bridge that they've created between themselves will inevitably crumble once Ritsu let this new river of feelings upon it.

The brigde will never be the same. And it depended entirely on Mio whether they would build a new one or let the ruins be washed away forever.

If Mio was heterosexual, and found a comfort in their friendship (which is what one would generally expect from a bond like that), then the drummer would spoil it with any sort of confession, the comfort would be lost. The whole situation would undoubtedly become awkward.

Ritsu was torn between the 'for Mio's sake' and the 'for her sake'. Torn between being selfish and brushing away her own needs for the sake of a friend... as she had done so many times before. Not that she minded, she had a strong drive to protect her friends from whatever thing...including herself, but it was slowly starting to suffocate her. She needed to indulge in her own desires once in a while. Otherwise it will be her who snaps, not Mio.

Ritsu reached an important conclusion.

"Sis, I'm ready!"

'_Me too.'_

"Alright, here I come!"

* * *

Meanwhile the title character of the story, beloved Usa-chan, was in a bit of a dilemma. The plush rabbit lay on the very edge of the bed, and any sort of movement would send her down to the carpeted floor.

A painful, horrible death!

Mio was not aware of the grave situation as she sat on her bed and stared blankly ahead. Thankfully her lack of movement only helped Usa-chan's case.

The bassist's mind basically shut down, with the exception of the Mio Media Player, which kept repeating one single word: 'subjectively'.

Did that even mean anything? Ritsu loved to mess with her.

And why did she care whether it meant anything?

"What is this, Usa-chan?" 'This' encompassed a strange feeling blossoming within her. She could ignore it no more.

Usa-chan's lack of an answer didn't surprise her. Did she really expect to find a solution to her problems by sharing them with an inanimate toy?

'_Seriously.' _The bassist buried her face within her hands. The small movement caused a slight tremor on the bed, and down went the white rabbit.

Mio looked up curiously at the noise, and noticed her plush's new position on the floor. Right on top of her music magazine. It compelled the black-haired girl to reach out for the magazine and flip through it.

Now that she payed attention, she realized the various photos of musicians that accompanied the numerous interviews. Most of them being guys.

Either way, looking at the images of those men did not elicit a response from her. Instead, the grey eyes strayed to the instruments they were holding.

Polished, beautiful, 4-stringed wonders.

Playing the bass, feeling those deep, drawling tones excited her.

'_Oh my, does that make me ...bassexual?_ ' Mio thought sarcastically.

Which idiot started to put such an emphasis on labels anyway?

'_Probably those obsessed ones, whose ultimate joy in life is to label the stuff in their cupboard. The jams, the spices, the cookies... then they got greedy and decided to label people too.'_

She shook her head. Now now, why was she being so spiteful all of a sudden? Who cares about labels?

She felt an incoming headache. _'Stupid Ritsu.'_

Mio got up and wandered over to her desk where her notepad lay. She grabbed a pen and tried to distract her mind from one dynamic drummer. Doodles began to form on the blank page, but it did not take long for her thoughts to stray back. By the time she decided to take a look at the page, she found that it was mostly filled with 'Stupid Ritsu'.

The bassist tore out the page, irritated, then balled it up and chucked it at her bin. It bounced off the edge, then landed on the floor. Mio's eye twitched.

She needed a walk to clear her head.

* * *

The weather was lovely, and Mio decided to direct her steps towards a small hill that overlooked the local park. Nature would take her mind off things, hopefully.

She headed up to the top, and was surprised to spot Mugi in all her regal glory, lounging on her stomach on the grass and intensely observing something through a pair of binoculars.

"Hey, Mugi."

The blonde turned at the greeting and gave Mio one of her pleasant smiles, which the bassist returned in earnest. Tsumugi was such an easygoing person, it was refreshing to be around her after the twisted mind games of Ritsu.

'_No, don't go back there again.'_

"So, what are you doing out here?" She questioned the keyboardist, gesturing at the binoculars with a hand.

"Birdwatching." Mugi answered simply, turning even that one single word into a melody with her cheerful tone. She lifted the device back up again and went back to the spot where she left off.

Mio's curiosity piqued. "Really? Can I have a look?"

The blonde lowered her binoculars which were previously targeting an unsuspecting Himeko napping by the lake.

"You'd find it uninteresting, Mio-chan. It's just a plain duck." She replied in a nonchalant voice.

"Oh it's okay, I like ducks."

Mugi froze. She desperately searched for a duck, and to her luck there were a few ambling by the pond.

"Over there, Mio-chan." She signalled their location with an outstretched arm.

"Ah, they're so cute!" Mio said with a grin that bore childlike glee. The bassist then swept her vision over the park. She might as well look around while she had the chance.

"Oh look, Himeko-san is there!"

Mugi lifted a hand to her cheek and tried to act surprised. "Really? I haven't noticed!"

"You should pay more attention to your surroundings." The dark haired girl said playfully.

'_Oh belive me, I do._' The keyboardist thought.

"I guess I daydream too much, ne, Mio-chan?" She chuckled.

They spent some time together just lazing around in the grass. Then both decided it was time to head back to their homes.

The bassist was halfway when this absurd idea entered her thoughts.

Her feet had a mind of their own and turned at the corner that eventually led to the drummer's house instead of hers.

But it was not like she was ready to just...hang out with Ritsu? Just like that, without surprise meetings and silly situations and whatnot that usually forced them together?

She was almost at her (well, not exactly hers, it was her feet's!) destination.

'_Am I really prepared to make such a step?'_

To up their friendship to a further level by willingly spending more time with each other?

What about that 'subjectively'? What was that?

'_Stupid Ritsu and her usual idiocies. Must be another one of them.'_

Should she really go through with this?

Mio cast her grey eyes at the sky_. 'SEND ME A SIGN!'_

Fate was kind enough this time around, so a mere 2 seconds after her declaration she got slapped in the face by unidentified yellow panties.

The bassist was in shock. Her body on autopilot, hands took the offending garment off her face. It was impossible to miss the big, bold, pink letters announcing brightly that these panties were reserved for 'FRIDAY'.

It was Sunday, so Mio hoped with all her heart that the piece of clothing was scheduled for next week.

'_I guess I do have to return these.' _It's not like she would keep them or something...so she had to take them back, obviously. A weird but plausible excuse to spend some time with Ritsu, providing she didn't die from embarrassment.

She rang the doorbell of the Tainaka household. It was Satoshi who answered, his eyes immediately taking notice of the glaringly yellow object.

His face coloured into a fierce blush. "Ah, d-did sis have a sleepover?"

Mio followed his gaze to the panties she was clenching in her hand with an iron grip. Her eyes slowly widened in horror as she took in what he said.

"NO! I was passing by when they fell on my face!"

Satoshi stared at her strangely. He didn't seem to buy it. Well, you couldn't fault him.

There was that one song...'It's raining men' that bore a similar case, but panties just never happened to be on the weather report. Nah.

The bassist sighed. "Look, can you just let me in? I need to return these, never mind how I got them."

The boy stepped aside mutely.

Mio slowly went up the stairs, the wood creaking menacingly at each step she took. She clenched her fingers around the garment as if it were some lucky charm meant to ward off evil, and unconsciously had it pointed towards the stairs, wishing to silence the groans of the aging steps.

The door to Ritsu's room was closed. She remembered the last time Ritsu barged into her room without knocking.

Damn, now she was blushing again. Great. Right when she was about to hand over an embarrassing piece of clothing to someone who got a kick out of teasing her with every single thing. Wonderful.

She rapped her knuckles lightly against the door. The tall girl heard the approaching footsteps as Ritsu's voice rang out.

"Satoshiii, I'm trying to study and you know how hard it is for me once I get interrupte-"

Mio tried to muster up a smile, though her cheeks were still pink.

"Hi. Sorry to interrupt your-" her eyes wandered to Ritsu's hands, which were holding a pair of drumsticks, "-...studying."

"Mio!" The drummer scratched her neck sheepishly. "Well...you know how some things are. Especially with music. Like, you just get this pull and you have to obey. Next thing I know, these little fellas are stuck to my hand." She held up the sticks.

"Uh-huh." The taller girl replied, unconvinced.

"Don't look at me like that! I bet you have moments like these with your bass! Besides, I see you also have something stuck in your hand. What's that?"

The bassist lifted up the panties.

"Oh, this? I was walking down the street when suddenly they were in my face!" She screeched, hurling the garment at Ritsu. Both of them followed it with their eyes as it landed neatly on the smaller girl's head. Ritsu then turned her gaze back onto Mio, ignoring that her panties were not in a place deemed correct by society.

"Hmm and why were you walking in this street anyway? Your house is not this way, Mio-chuan~."

"You're missing the main point!"

"I don't know what the big deal is, they're clean!"

"And why were they airborne? Don't tell me that's a completely natural thing!"

"Well, ever heard of 'It's raining men'? Just think of this as something similar."

"Ritsu."Mio growled.

"Alright, geez. I was looking for some clothes and kept tossing stuff behind me. It probably flew out the window. Wait, why do I have to explain myself to you? What were you doing near my house anyway?"

Mio averted her eyes to the floor. "I- I wanted to ...hang out...or something."

Ritsu's eyes brightened. "Really? I thought we both agreed at the train station that things like this were not likely to happen...ever." She grinned.

Mio looked fearful, as if she had just realized that she made a grave mistake."I'm sorry, I thought-"

"Silly. We are whatever you want us to be."

The bassist blushed at the statement as it implied other possibilities too. Still, Ritsu couldn't mean that...no way.

Making up her mind, she reached out a hand tentatively.

"Friends?"

Ritsu dropped her drumsticks and encompassed the hand with both of hers in a warm, reassuring grip.

"Friends."

Her cheery grin did not betray her inner thoughts. _'You may want to settle at that, Mio. But I need something more.'_

"So would like to keep these panties as a token of our new bond?"

Mio lightly rapped her knuckles against Ritsu's forehead. "Idiot!"

"Ouch! What, never heard of warriors who exchanged their swords when they became friends?"

"Stop."

"We haven't got any swords, so we could exchange panties!"

"Stop!"

"I'll wear yours if you wear mine!"

"RITSUUU!"

* * *

A small gust of warm air swept over the room, ruffling Usa-chan's fur. Her Master had left in a huff hours ago and did not return yet.

Mio had seemed irritated about something. Right after she had flipped through that magazine.

What was it? Perhaps she had found the men in it unsatisfying?

Maybe because they were in 2D.

The rabbit's black button eyes sparkled as the light hit them. Usa-chan looked as if she were on the verge of smiling.

Hah, sure. The Master and ...men? Goodness no, that idea was laughable.

Men were animals.(2)

The door creaked and in walked her Master. She seemed happy and relaxed, quite the contrary to how she left that morning. The toy then felt a pull on her ears as she was lifted up from the carpeted floor and placed back onto the soft bed.

"There. Much better now, is it?"

Most certainly.

The bassist fished around for her pajamas and went to change. She then left the room, and Usa-chan was left alone to melt slowly into the soft sheets.

Mio returned, clad in pajamas and holding a cup of warm milk in one hand.

"That Ritsu-" she began with a small smile, "-I have no idea what goes on in her head sometimes."

Usa-chan looked attentive.

Then again, it's not like her expression changed ever since she had been manufactured. She could basically convey anything with her two black button eyes and small sewn mouth. Probably that's why Mio found it so easy to open up to her.

The bassist's grey eyes turned to regard the rabbit.

"I wonder why I am telling you these stuff always. It's not like you answer or give me advice or anything."

Master and toy locked eyes. The toy remained silent.

Mio rolled onto her stomach, as she had previously been lying on her back. She grinned at the white plushie.

"Usa-chan, you would fail as a psychologist." She ruffled the rabbit's fluffy fur, then drank her milky and hid under the sheets, drifting to slumber.

* * *

School.

A synonym for boring.

A special method of torture perfected over hundreds of years, the art of making students suffer from sheer boredom.

The bassist was open to learning new things, but she had to admit that this Monday proved to be tiring even for her. She was extremely glad to hear the bell signal salvation, and left in a hurry, waving a quick goodbye to her bandmates. Hopefully she'd be able to catch the earlier train this time.

Or maybe not.

Mio watched, crestfallen, as the back of the train, _her_ train disappeared from view .

She had to wait at least 20 minutes for the next one. Scratch that, 40 minutes. There was a delay due to construction this week.

Ah well, she could always read somethi- oh! The tall girl rummaged in her bag for a music magazine that Ritsu lent her yesterday. The drummer insisted that there was a very entertaining part in it, where the readers got to ask questions and the staff answered.

She turned the pages till she met the desired one. Instantly, the longest paragraph grabbed her attention. _'Hm, let's see.'_

_Rhythm guitar vs. Bass?_

_What are their jobs in the band and which do you like more?_

_Anime111_

**Dear Anime111,**

**Both are fun, I guess I probably like playing bass a little better. A little more flexibility.**

**As for their jobs, I probably should start at the beginning and go on from there, to make this more understandable.**

**So you have the drums that is the foundation. For instance, when you record music piece by piece you will always start with the drums(actually you will most likely record in the order that I am about to lay out). Then you will lay down the bass, as sort of a bridge between the drums and the rhythm guitar (often you will put a scratch guitar track here for the bass' reference). Then you will lay down the rhythm guitar as a bridge between the bass and the sort of "overdub instruments." These would be your lead guitar/s and any sort of ear candy stuff. I can tell that I'm getting too convoluted, but what I'm getting at is the rhythm guitar has as much to do with the bass and the drums as the lead guitar. Everything is connected, though I will say that the most important relationship in most rock music is the relationship between the drums and the bass.**

**Prof. Anger**

Mio blinked.

'_-though I will say that the most important relationship in most rock music is the relationship between the drums and the bass-'_

The _bassist_ was feeling light-headed all of a sudden.

Did Ritsu read that part too?

Wait a minute- did Ritsu suggest she read this section because she knew of that comment and wanted Mio to see it?

The tall girl shook her head. No way, the drummer was crafty but only went it came to mischief.

Was she thinking too much into this?

_Why_ was she even thinking into this at all?

_What_ was there to think into? No implications here. Nope. Cause she wasn't having a dilemma caused by a drummer. Nah. And comparing their instruments to themselves was stupid. Yep. Because it's not like their personalities matched their chosen instruments...

Mio let out a nervous laugh.

She quickly turned the page, and to her relief there was a nice, long article about a new bass coming out. Left-handed edition included.

She snapped her mouth shut to stop the drool from escaping.

Suddenly, her phone vibrated in her pocket, shaking the bassist out of her bassexual fantasies.

"Hello?"

"_Mio-chan! It's me, Yui!"_

"What's up, Yui?"

"_Ricchan has a racing contest today at her school, and we want to go and cheer for her!"_

"Today? Why are you telling me this now? And I don't even know where her school is!"

"_Hehe I forgot to tell you! Oh wait, Mugi-chan wants to speak to you. Bye bye!"_

"Yui! Wait!"

"_Mio-chan, hello!"_

"Hi, Mugi."

"_Sorry for the late notice. I myself only heard it five minutes ago. But my chauffeur can take us there, Yui-chan knows the address. So, can you come?"_

"...Sure."

"_Great! There are still some hours left, so will it be okay to pick you up at your house at 5?"_

"Yeah, okay. Thanks, Mugi."

"_No problem!"_

_

* * *

_Mugi handed back the mobile to Yui.

"So, is Mio-chan coming too?" The brunette asked eagerly.

Tsumugi smiled. "Of course she is."

"Alright then,we'll see you later Mugi-chan! Azunyan, let's go!" Yui grabbed onto the kouhai and ignoring her protests, began to drag Azusa after her. The scene was completed by the blonde waving at them cheerfully as the pair faded into the afternoon sun.

How charming.

Tsumugi checked her watch and noticed that it was almost time for her volunteer work. She'd better hurry.

Humming under her breath Fuwa Fuwa time and matching her pace to it's tempo, it was not long before she arrived at her destination.

A nursery school.

Mugi had always wanted to know what it was like to work with small children. She was lucky to find this opportunity, in which she had to supervise a group for about an hour every second day.

She loved it.

The children were very cute and attentive, and Tsumugi never hesitated to spoil them. Even now, she was carrying a pack of biscuits hidden in her bag.

The keyboardist entered the building and headed to the designated room.

"Mugi-sensei!"

The blonde beamed as she entered.

"Mugi-sensei, have you got any cookies?"

"Mugi-senseiiii!"

"Now now, children. If you don't behave well, I'll be the one to eat all of these yummy biscuits."

"Waah, that's not fair!"

"You'll get fat!" One of the kids shouted.

A little girl gasped. "Oh no, I don't want Mugi-sensei to get fat! She's sooo pwetty!"

The room erupted into chaos, but it quieted down as soon as the keyboardist raised her hands.

"Shush. Only good girls and boys get to eat biscuits. You have to earn them by behaving well."

General sulking was the response. Then someone suggested Mugi to tell them a tale, and the room buzzed again, this time with excitement.

"Yay! A tale!"

"Come on, senseiiii!"

"Like the one you told us before!"

"Yeah, that was funny!" They giggled.

The blonde took a deep breath. "Fine then. Settle down, settle down. All ok?" At the nods of tiny heads, she clapped her hands together in delight.

"Alright! Once upon a time, there was a princess living in a garden of lilies(3). Her name was-" she blurt out the first one that came to mind- "Akiyama-chan."

"Do lilies smell nice?" One of the children asked.

"Ssh, don't talk!" Another retorted.

"Sowwy~."

Mugi went on patiently. "Yes, the lilies smell very nice. And because Akiyama-chan lived in a lily garden, she also smelled like lilies!"

"Whoa!"

Much to the delight of the kids, Tsumugi opened up the pack of biscuits and distributed the contents, continuing her tale as she did so.

"One day, Ritsu-chan, Queen of the Bees wandered into the garden because she was entranced by the smell. Ritsu-chan was a very loud queen, buzzing aaall the time. But she was very cute."

The kids buzzed like little bees, drawn into the tale by Mugi's pleasant, warm voice.

"Bzzzz! Bzzz!"

The blonde laughed. "So, she wandered in the garden and eventually met Akiyama-chan. The princess was the sweetest smelling being that Ritsu has ever met-"

Mugi thought about her bandmates, and kinda got lost in her own tale, fantasies creeping into it...

"- and so the Queen of Bees, being a bee, needed pollen to make her honey and asked Akiyama-chan to gi-"

"Wow, Tsumugi-san, is that appropriate for children?"

The blonde froze, cheeks tinged with pink. She turned around to address the newcomer, and was surprised to see her classmate standing at the door.

"Ahh, hello Himeko-san. Do you also work here?"

"Yeah. Oh, Akane-san sent me to tell you that your shift finishes earlier today and that she will be here soon. So, you're free to go. I never thought I'd meet you here though."

"Likewise." The keyboardist turned back to the children. "Well, I guess I must go now. I'll finish the story another time."

There were groans of protest and reluctant goodbyes.

Mugi waved them goodbye, then left the room.

Himeko was still standing there.

"Is there anything you'd like from me, Himeko-san?"

"Nothing, Tsumugi-san. I'm just surprised by your ...inappropriate fantasies."

Mugi's expression did not reveal anything. Then she let a small grin break out. "Dear Himeko-san, those implications could only be understood by a person who's just as perverted."

The blonde bid farewell to the speechless classmate, and was on her merry way home.

* * *

Later that evening the four girls reunited at the racetrack that belonged to Ritsu's school.

Azusa and Mio could not keep their eyes off Yui. The brunette was wearing a headband, and it looked terribly out of place on her. Mugi's neutral smile did not betray what she thought about the new hair accessory.

"Do you girls like my new headband?" Yui asked, grinning secretively.

"It's ...very pink." Azusa observed.

"Yeah! It's gonna suit Ricchan."

Mio, who was trying to act uninterested, could not help but join the conversation after hearing that."Ritsu?"

Yui got her opening and dived in with enthusiasm, revealing her master plan. "We're gonna swap Ricchan's headband with this one."

"Yui-senpai, that's pink. Ritsu-senpai is not colorblind."

"Ricchan always has a headband. She'll be desperate."

"She could just run without one."

"Nah, she told me that a headband is a must at races. So she can see who's ass she'll be kicking."

Mio sweatdropped. "Definitely sounds like Ritsu."

"Yui-senpai, how can you be sure she hasn't got more with her?"

"Azunyan, my instincts are always spot on."

The kouhai, being a lover of logic, did not find that reason too satisfying.

"Well, how are you going to take her original one? It's on her head right now."

"You shouldn't worry about trivial things like that, Azunyan."

"Trivial?"

Yui did not answer, instead she sprinted away, leaving Azusa bewildered.

The remaining three girls spotted Ritsu warming up by the track. Her muscles tensed up, just like the drumheads she loved to bang on, then went lax as she continued through her routine. No one liked cramps, especially not during the middle of a competition where it could easily cost you a medal.

Mio tugged at her collar. A stretching Ritsu..was she the only one who found it ho- err, unusual?

She sneaked a look at Mugi, her eyes widening.

'_It's there! That look! Wait a minute- at Ritsu?'_ Something flooded her mind, something ugly, and the bassist couldn't help but _accidentally _stumble into Mugi, trying to divert her attention from the flexible drummer. Only she was allowed to have strange thoughts about Ritsu.

The girl in question looked their way and spotted them instantly. She jogged over, grinning broadly.

"You came!"

"Of course we came, silly." Mio responded.

Ritsu swept her gaze over her three bandmates. "Is Yui here too?"

"She's here, but ran off to God knows where just a second ago." Azusa muttered, irritated.

Suddenly, a brunette blur swept by them, taking the drummer's yellow headband with her.

"Hey! Give that back!"

Ritsu was not in the competition for nothing. She caught up with Yui a mere second later, and Yui's plan seemingly failed at that point... but the guitarist was not one to give up so easily.

Quickly, she snapped the headband in half.

The drummer went ballistics."What are you doing? Mio already destroyed one, and now you too? Do you guys get a kick out of breaking my headbands?"

"Sorry Ricchan. My fingers slipped." Yui chuckled sheepishly.

"My fingers will slip too...slip around your throat."

Yui shrieked.

"Wait, you can have mine!" The brunette quickly removed her pink headband and handed it to Ritsu, who stared at the object with mild disdain.

"...It's pink."

"It's a headband."

The drummer seemed to weigh her options, but then a very pleasing image sprang to mind, the face of her foes contorted in rage as she sprinted past them...she would only be able to witness that clearly if her vision remained free from her long bangs.

In other words, she needed that headband. Needed it so bad.

"Gimme that!"

Yui cheered. "Yay!"

Mio and Azusa shook her heads in disbelief. Neither of them could really believe that the sucky plan actually worked. Heck, they wouldn't even label it as a 'plan'.

A voice boomed through the megaphone, announcing that the race was about to begin in five minutes and that the competitors should be taking their places at the starting line.

Ritsu quickly slipped on the ..atrociously pink headband, then marched over to the other competitors.

"Ritsu-senpai looks pretty focused, doesn't she?" Azusa asked Mio. Hearing no immediate reply, she turned her head to regard the other, only to find the bassist frozen like a statue.

'_Ritsu looks so ...fuwa fuwa with that headband.' _ Mio shook her head, trying to snap out of her trance. It was not fair to be aiming at one of her major weaknesses.

"Hmm?"

"It's nothing, Mio-senpai. Let's find a seat." And so they did. The four girls had their eyes intensely trained on their drummer as the seconds ticked back.

Except for Mio. She noticed the girl next to Ritsu scratch the ground in a bizarre way.

A whistle signaled the start, and the bassist snapped her head to the drummer. A commentator kept blaring out the obvious, and Mio droned out his voice without regret.

To the four girls' delight, Ritsu was in the lead not long after the start. Only one girl came close to her but still, the drummer was a tiny bit ahead.

Mio took in the racers, then her eyes strayed back to Ritsu, to the pink headband, to the tightly coiled leg muscles as they pumped the drummer forward, to her determined expression and furiously glowing amber eyes. Unwittingly, the girl running next to Ritsu was also in her line of sight and Mio huffed with distaste at the (in her opinion) hideous face that was further marred by a deep scowl. She got irritated as this face constantly kept obscuring Ritsu's features from her view.

The contestants were halfway.

Azusa gasped and pointed at the very same girl that had gotten Mio so irritated. The scowl from that girl's face had disappeared, giving place to a malicious grin that bore ill intent. Sure enough, she did a sweeping motion at Ritsu with her hand.

Sand.

She threw sand right into the drummer's face.

The HTT bandmates were absolutely livid. The crowd roared incredulously.

Ritsu stumbled, trying to wipe the dust and sand from her eyes. The rest of the racers slowly caught up with her then left her behind as she struggled with her problem.

Then, finally, she managed to remove most of it and was back on full speed again.

Fury brightened her eyes to a fiery gold. Ritsu looked rabid as she kept pushing on and on, going beyond her previous limits and reaching a speed that she had never been capable of before.

Slowly, she was gaining on the rest.

Her bandmates were cheering for her enthusiastically.

Soon, Ritsu was just a few paces behind that cheating girl that had thrown the sand in her eyes. The finish line drew nearer, they were almost there...just a little bit...

The first to cross was a blur of white, blue and...pink.

The crowd acknowledged her win with thunderous applause. Ritsu slowed down, then stopped. She seemed to be scanning the crowd.

She spotted her friends. '_There._'

Ritsu snapped off her pink headband and threw it to them. The headband landed in Mio's lap and at the bassist's surprised look the smaller girl returned a bold wink. Then a scowl replaced the grin she previously rewarded her bandmates with, and she turned around. The wind snapped her hair back as she sprang forward in a flash, running back to the cheating girl.

"Hey!" She growled, grabbing the attention of her previous opponent.

"Oh, it's you." The girl spat with distaste.

"Damn right it's me."

And Ritsu punched her in the jaw.

The other fingered the spot tenderly, then cast a hateful glance at the drummer. "You'll pay for this!"

The two jumped at each other, eager for a fight.

People from the crowd rushed to break the girls apart. Ritsu's opponent was lead away, probably to discuss the repercussions of her cheating during the race.

The HTT bandmates were also there and quickly went over to the drummer, trying to calm her down with various degrees of success. Finally, she seemed to be cooling down a little, but Ritsu knew that only one thing would do the trick of placating her completely.

"I'm going to take a shower."

The rest nodded, ready to adhere to her wishes as long as it kept her calm.

"You do that, Ricchan. You deserve it." Yui stated. The other three voiced their agreement and congratulated her on her success, enveloping the drummer in a massive group hug.

Ritsu then ambled off towards the direction of the lockers and showers.

Mio turned to the remaining with a sudden look of realisation. "I forgot to hand Ritsu back her magazine. I'll be back soon."

* * *

Steam crept around the lockers, originating from the shower cubicle that the drummer occupied at that moment.

The bassist managed to find the locker room by asking the directions. As soon as she entered, the stuffy air instantly enveloped her in a warm blanket.

She heard the pattering of the water droplets as they splashed against the ground. Only then did it fully sink in that they were alone inside, that Ritsu, in all her bare glory, was just a few steps away.

Coming here was a dumb idea.

Still, Mio found her eyes glued to Ritsu's naked form, even though the image was heavily pixelated by the shower's glass wall.

The fact that only this semi-transparent barrier stood between her and the other's glistening wet body dried her throat.

She tried to force her eyes elsewhere. The bassist took notice of the fluffy yellow towel draped over the shower's wall, as well as the matching yellow panties right next to them. These ones had blue lettering on them. 'MONDAY'.

"Huh, never thought you'd have the whole week-panties collection."

Ritsu gave out a startled yelp.

"Bah, you scared me! And it's not my fault, okay? These things only come in packs."

"Sure, if you say so..."

"It's true! Anyway, what are you doing here?" She asked. The panties were lifted off the shower's wall and Ritsu slipped them on. Then came the towel, which she wrapped around her torso.

"I came to give back the magazine before I forget it."

"You can keep it for a little longer if you want."

"No, thank you. I have read it all already."

"Nerd."

"Idiot."

"Neeeeerd."

"Geez, and here I thought that I liked you."

At that comment, the drummer got so surprised that she lost her balance, her body smashing against the shower's door. The old, rusty hinges gave way to the pressure, snapping with a loud pop as Ritsu fell out of the cubicle and landed on her back, seemingly unconscious.

Mio's first thought was to panic.

Fear bubbled up inside her, a shock reaction urging her to move, to do something.

Ritsu lay spread out on the tiled floor, a small trickle of blood mixing with the water and tainting it red.

The showerhead did not care for the events taking place around it, and continued to spit droplets relentlessly onto the now unmoving bronze-haired girl. In the bassist's panic infested mind this translated to Ritsu drowning, having lost consciousness with an open mouth that was rapidly filling with water.

Her first instinct was to protect the drummer so she ran over to her body and knelt down next to it abruptly, knees smashing against the floor with a dull thud. That was probably going to leave a nasty bruise, not that she felt anything at the moment with the adrenaline numbing her senses.

For a split-second she just sat there, her body hovering over Ritsu's protectively but not really having any idea what to do next.

'_If I hesitate, she'll asphyxiate. I can't...I won't let her die!_' (4)

She had no idea how to perform CPR. Of course she knew the general idea, having seen it on TV but it wasn't the same when someone's life actually depended on it.

This was not a studio where the actress would only have to peck lightly her companion's lips to awaken them.

Ritsu's eyebrow twitched but the bassist didn't notice.

She was close to sobbing.

_'Ritsu'_

Mio dove down.

* * *

What Mio had said was so unexpected, so out of nowhere that a loss of her footing was inevitable. Ritsu slipped, hit her head pretty hard but reflex urged her to extend a hand as she fell and it worked, slowing her descent by a great amount.

It was thanks to this that she didn't actually lose consciousness. She felt great pain when trying to move so the drummer decided to gather some energy before attempting to rise again. Oh, how her head hurt.

Ritsu's eyebrow twitched.

Suddenly, something rough brushed against her mouth and she froze, eyes snapping open in surprise.

She took in the view of Mio's tightly shut eyes, and it took her a second to connect the close proximity of Mio's face to the sensation on her lips.

_'Indeed milady_-' she thought in a morbidly detached way, '_may I inquire as to why are you gracing my lips' presence with yours? ...WHAT THE HELL, MIO?'_

Not that it felt bad. Far from that. In fact, her nervous system broke into chaos as the sudden desire burst within her, the throbbing of her head intensifying this new, strange mix of pain, yearning and arousal.

She desperately wanted to respond.

Just before she was about to do that, another unexpected thing, air filled her throat and she almost coughed on reflex. The bassist was breathing air into her?

_'What?'_

Again, another shy, tentative gust of air entered.

Ritsu's thoughts were sluggish due to the wound and that tiny little distracting feeling of having the bassist's mouth brush against hers. Not to mention the added bonus(?) of Mio blowing air into her.

It took her some time, but then it clicked.

_'Oh.'_

Followed by -_'What? She calls this CPR?'_

Luckily Ritsu's life wasn't really in danger. Otherwise Mio's strange and completely ineffective CPR wouldn't have helped her at all.

_'Geez, you have to at least pinch my nose while you do this-'_

As if on cue, the taller girl's lips left her mouth and fingers reached out to pinch Ritsu's nostrils shut. The drummer inhaled through her mouth quickly. She had no idea why she was continuing to pretend as if she were unconscious.

* * *

Mio seriously had no clue how to continue.

'_Wait... the sternum_!' She remembered the protagonist of a drama pumping down hard onto the sternum and only then giving mouth-to-mouth to the affected person.

She didn't want to accidentally harm Ritsu by pumping down too hard, so she settled for a light push, then dove in again for the drummer's lips with a fierce blush.

_'Ok, now blow.'_

_

* * *

_The smaller girl suppressed again the reflex to cough. She couldn't keep this act on for much longer.

Ritsu swallowed down the air, her insides warming up just by thinking about the intimacy of sharing your breath with someone.

Mio's hand was still on her sternum. Then, as if it had a mind on it's own, the hand slowly slid upwards. Just under Ritsu's collarbone.

Now, it must be stated that the drummer was quite sensitive in that area, so when Mio's spread out fingers did a light caressing motion, Ritsu could do naught but shudder and let a small moan escape.

Oops.

Mio jumped back, as if burned.

Ritsu's eyes snapped open.

They looked at each other, their stares bearing something that bordered on accusation.

'_You were pretending all this time?'_

'_That way you went around touching my skin was so NOT first-aid.'_

Neither blinked.

Then, suddenly, words gave voice to their thoughts.

"You were pretending all this time?" Mio asked incredulously, angry that her worry had been for nothing and angry at the fact that she had been so worried.

"Yeah, lucky me! Had things depended on your CPR, I would've been dead by now!"

"Do you have any idea how worried you made me?" Mio screamed.

Ritsu already had her comeback ready, but snapped her mouth shut after hearing the bassist's outburst.

"Mio, I-"

"Stop joking and take me seriously!"

'_Oh. She thought it was a prank. Shit.'_

"Mio, this is not-"

"Shut up!" The taller girl growled furiously, following her command with a lunge. This time she really wanted to inflict serious harm to the drummer.

"Goddamn it, Mio!" Ritsu wrestled with the other, each struggling to gain the upper hand. The task proved to be increasingly difficult since the tiles were slippery from the water.

The bassist did not bother to keep her inner beast in control, her only goal was to make Ritsu _pay _for constantly toying with her. She fought like a wild animal, ignoring whatever her wrestling partner was trying to tell her so relentlessly. The fact that her hands kept slipping off Ritsu's wet bare arms only fueled her ire.

Ritsu had the upper hand. Running and drumming regularly made her more physically fit than Mio. It was only a matter of time before she won their tussle.

The bassist was not one for surrender though.

"Mio! Just stop it!"

"I've had enough!" She tossed and turned, refusing to admit defeat. _'I've had enough of this damned confusion! My mind is being constantly in a mess, all thanks to you!'_

"Well, me too!" The drummer snapped back, and pinned Mio down onto the slippery wet tiles, with a knee on each side of the bassist's stomach. It was small miracle that her towel hadn't slipped off yet.

She tossed her head to the side, huffing angrily.

"Seriously."

"Damn you." Mio spat back.

Ritsu growled, and smashed her hips down onto Mio's pelvis in a primal gesture to display her dominance. The taller girl's eyes widened and she exhaled with a hiss when the sudden move sparked a shot of pleasure within her.

Glad that the bassist didn't retort this time, Ritsu sighed. Come to think of it, she was feeling extremely light-headed.

_'Must be that damned wound_.' She could still feel the warm blood trickle down her nape.

But perhaps the fact that she had a soaking wet Mio pinned under her also clouded her mind.

The bassist must've noticed her temporarily distracted state and decided to counterattack by shooting her hips up, trying to throw Ritsu off her.

The drummer held her ground. Mio's move did not make her body lose her equilibrium, but her mind did falter a little. It was not exactly unpleasant.

The bassist growled, then thrust up again.

_'My God_.' Ritsu thought.

"Anh, Mio. Just...stop." She panted heavily. It was getting increasingly difficult to hold the taller girl down. Mio was playing dirty.

"Then ..get...off me!" The bassist breathed, still attempting to free herself. Her wiggling did not accomplish anything, it merely created a truckload of delicious_ friction_.

_'Ahh not there!_' "Not till you ...hahh...calm...down!"

One could only imagine how an outsider viewed their position. Two girls, one having the other pinned down onto the floor while the girl at the bottom kept grinding her hips upwards into her companion's...

Suddenly, Ritsu was thrown to the side. She had been too distracted by Mio's questionable motions which yielded interesting reactions in her. The drummer's head slammed against the tiles and she let out a pained yell.

Searing hot pain shot through the back of her skull that made her want to howl.

Ritsu exploded. It was just... too much. The overload, the confusion that she suffered from channeled into anger.

That's it, she had enough of this childish scuffle!

Ignoring Mio's pause she got up and, turning her back on the taller girl, began heading back to the shower to wash her wound clean.

The sudden...rejection from Ritsu was like a slap in the face, making Mio's rage dissipate in seconds.

It was then that the bassist noticed the other's head wound for the first time. There was a small trickle of red wading through the caramel locks and traveling down, down between shoulder blades, along the groove of the spine and finally soaking into the yellow towel, staining it.

Nausea caught hold of Mio, not necessarily by the sight of blood, but by knowing that she also contributed to Ritsu's present state. Currently, her mind had a mix of emotions swirling in it, similar to a clear glass of water that had several variously stained paintbrushes dipped into it. Any psychologist would've found her to be an artistic chaos at that moment.

Her body was still tense from the previous anger, her brain was still dizzy from momentary pleasure, and now a new wash of concern and nausea joined.

Ritsu hissed as the warm water hit her wound.

"You know how hard is this?" She bit out. "Taking up the role of a joker, making everyone happy ...comes at the price of being unable to be taken seriously the moment you choose to bare your honest emotions. It hurts."

'_Your refusal to listen to me, your accusations of this being a trick...hurts.'_

Mio's previous anger began to return.

"Well, guess what? Trusting a joker only to have them play with you when you are at your most vulnerable hurts too!" She spat back.

Ritsu began another vehement protest but faltered. "I wasn't joking! I wasn't. I- I-"

"Then why did you pretend? Why did you do this? You better be honest with me this time."

"Could you take that?" Ritsu asked, bold amber eyes shining defiantly.

"I could." There was a storm brewing in the bassist's grey irises.

They stared at one another for a while. Then the smaller girl's eyes lowered to the ground, almost shyly.

"...Can you really?" Her posture radiated uncertainty. It was a far cry from her aggressively confident stance mere seconds ago.

Mio sensed the change and knew that she must also approach this more delicately. She slowly took a step closer. "I can." She replied softly.

Ritsu hesitated.

"I don't really know myself. I guess-"she paused a little, lifting a hand to her lips and touching it lightly "-I guess at first I was surprised. But then I realised that I wanted to feel this for just a little bit longer."

"Feel what?"

The drummer looked up. There was something hazy in her expression, something hidden that Mio couldn't decipher.

Ritsu's kiss was so sudden. Such a small touch on her lips, and yet it balanced out the discomfort she had been feeling, the coldness and itch as her soaked clothes clung to her form, her headache, her anger, her worry, her confusion...all balanced out, if not overpowered by the minuscule act of their lips touching.

Her eyelids lowered shut as her lips trembled to respond to these wonderful sensations.

Ritsu pulled back just the moment Mio decided(or was it really her own conscious decision?) to return her the favour. The loss of lips confused the bassist and she opened her eyes, staring ahead dumbly.

"This." Ritsu whispered. The door clicked, signaling the arrival of someone else and the drummer turned away abruptly, lightly brushing her fingers over the head wound as she went to put on some clothes.

Ritsu sighed. It felt good to be selfish sometimes.

* * *

OMAKE - AdrenaVeris-san wanted Usa-chan to possess Mio and take control of things...

_Set at the time when Ritsu and Mio agree to be friends._

"Friends?"

"Friends."

Suddenly, Mugi jumped out of Ritsu's closet.

"Nooo, nooo! You two can't be friends!" She grabbed Usa-chan from God knows where.

Mio's eyes widened. '_Wait, isn't that my Us-'_

Mugi threw the rabbit straight at them. The GO! GO! MANIAC! opening played in the background.

"GO! GO! USA-CHAAAAN!"

Drummer and bassist stared at the toy that fell between them. Then Mio's eyes rose to meet the other's in a heated gaze.

"Ritsu." She purred. "I'm going to make you _Come With Me."_

"O-Oi Mio, why are you saying tha-"

The drummer couldn't finish her sentence as Mio pounced on her, meeting her lips in a ferocious kiss.

Soon Ritsu responded, the kissing activities rising to an intensity that was M-rated all in itself. Not to mention the events that followed...

* * *

**Chapter notes:**

**1 -**a reference to the rainbow coloured flag of a certain community *cough*

**2 - **I must point out that this does not reflect my thoughts in any way. "Men are animals" is a line taken directly from the manga, Mio being the one who said it.**  
**

**3 - **Princess Akiyama lives in a garden of lilies! And she smells like lilies! *Whispers loudly* Lilies translate to 'yuri' in Japanese. Get it? Get it? Hahah- *mauled***  
**

**4 -** '_If I hesitate, she'll asphyxiate'_** - **a bad time to rhyme...hey, that rhymed too!**  
**


	9. Chapter 9

**AN**: I AM SO VERY SORRY! Feel my guilt! Feel it, I say! D:

I've been extremely busy, but now I'm back in the saddle. I'd never give up this story, and not my other ones either. So after finishing this, I'm planning on reviving My Bushido. And there are a couple of half-finished one-shots sitting around too, I'll attend to them as well.

Since I'm sure there won't be any other updates before Christmas, I'd like to wish you all a very merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Thanks for reading, thank you for the feedback. You lot are very encouraging and kind, it warms my heart. *sob* ;)

**Warning**: this is a transition chapter. Transition chapters can be boring and dull but necessary.

**Warning!**: I tried to make it more enjoyable by throwing in some cracky things. ;o

ENJOY!

Oh, anon replies at the bottom this time. Wouldn't want to hold you up.

* * *

_Why Mugi-chan does not fail as a psycho ...err..psychologist_

They were sitting in the built-in studio of the Kotobuki mansion.

Mio was terrified. Asking Mugi for help meant a serious gamble for her that she had no choice but to take, if she ever wanted to solve what the hell was happening to her right now.

Because there were some issues that had to be addressed.

Ritsu had...undoubtedly crossed the barrier of friendship with that last stunt she pulled. Not to mention the fact that Mio had been on the verge of responding in kind. It could not be attributed as a fluke anymore, and even the socially reserved bassist recognised that fact. Unlike in the party, where the strange course of events could be blamed on the loud music, hypnotizing beat and stuffy air, there had been nothing to muddle with her mind in the showers. Except from maybe Ritsu herself.

The bassist's hands clenched, both dreading the results of Mugi's assistance and secretly feeling relieved over the fact that now at least she wasn't alone with her problem.

Tsumugi smiled amicably as always, but her expression did nothing to ease Mio. The blonde lifted the lid off the box that had been standing abandoned in one of the corners of the table. Her action revealed a single slice of custard cake, and Mugi slowly pulled it between herself and the other.

Mio made a cute expression of confusion as she stared at the food.

The keyboardist's smile widened by just a millimetre, and in her case this was the equivalent of Ritsu's wide, excited grin of anticipation.

"Mio-chan," she began patiently, "do not view this cake as a custard cake."

The bassist's brows drew together in her ongoing puzzlement.

Mugi continued. "Picture this as a ...slice...of life."

She pushed the slice in question closer to Mio. Grey eyes followed the object hesitantly as it drew nearer.

The blonde dropped her voice slightly. "Now,what kind of flavour would it be?"

"Chocolate." Mio blurted without hesitation. Chocolate cakes were her favourite, after all.

"Hmm. I see." The other nodded to herself. Mugi, of course, remembered her history lesson in which they learned that both the Aztec and Mayan cultures viewed chocolate as an aphrodisiac and bearer of mystical powers.

Mio seeing her so-called slice of life as a chocolate cake could only mean one thing. _'Repressed sexual frustrations.'_

The blonde's bushy brows furrowed, contemplating her next step. Suddenly, she snapped her fingers and a servant appeared out of nowhere, carrying with him a fruit bowl filled with bananas and oranges.

_'Rorschach did his tests with inkblots, but this will be just fine.'_ The ojou-sama thought, and lifted out a banana. She held it in front of her guest's face.

"Mio-chan, what do you see?"

"A banana."

"Doesn't it ...excite you?"

The question earned Mugi an incredulous look. Then the bassist's eyes narrowed suspiciously, as if trying to guess the hidden motives behind the query.

_'What sort of twisted mind-game is going on here?'_

"...It's just a banana." Mio answered slowly, not really getting the point.

To her further surprise, Mugi let out what seemed to be a relieved sigh. Did this mean that she passed the test?

Not likely, as the blonde already reached into the bowl again, and pulled out two oranges. She set them in front of Mio, mindful to have what was left of the stems point towards the bassist.

The oranges were of identical size.

With the two little green dots right in the middle. Pointing at her. Daring her to make the connection.

_'Just like...like a pair of...'_

With the association clear this time, Mio blushed furiously.

'_Wait, did that mean that the banana was a-'_ If possible, she blushed even more.

'_So I have been right after all._' Mugi thought._ 'The breakthrough came with the oranges. Now we only have to find out whose, so to speak.'_

"Mio-chan, you've been doing very well so far. There's only one last test left."

"What is it?" The bassist asked, dreading the answer.

"We will play a little game of word association."

_'Oh. Sounds harmless enough.'_

"So whenever I say a word, you must quickly blurt out what first comes to your mind. Is that clear?"

"Yes." The dark-haired girl answered, gaining back some confidence. What could go wrong with this?

"Ready then? Flower."

"Lily."

"Music."

"Light."

"Marco."

"Polo."

"Pear."

"Apple."

"Hit me baby-"

"-one more time! ...Hey, what was that for?"

"Sorry, sorry, I couldn't resist."

Mio did not appreciate the joke but said nothing, lips stretching into a straight line. Mugi ignored her.

_'Time to test people too.'_ The blonde thought, and moved on to their bandmates. "Azusa!"

"Cat."

"Yui!"

"Lazy." Mio covered her mouth in embarrassment, but Mugi signaled that it was fine.

"Do not worry, Mio-chan. Whatever is said today remains between us. Sawako!"

"Terror."

"Ritsu!"

"Pantsu!"

There was a short, awkward pause.

Mugi's eyes bulged._ 'It seems we have a winner, but there's no way to know for sure yet. Time to delve a little deeper_.' "Yellow."

"Headband." Mio's eyes widened again but Mugi did not let her reflect on it and continued quickly.

"Warm."

"Kiss." The bassist wanted to bury her face in her hands, cheeks aflame. There was no time to follow through with the action though, as the blonde did not pause and Mio found herself replying reflexively.

"Potassium."

"Ritsu."

"Didgeridoo."

"Drums."

"Lincoln."

"Ritsu."

Okay, this was getting ridiculous.

"Alright Mio-chan, I think this will be enough." _'Most of her thoughts are clearly associated with Ritsu. And ...kiss. Did that mean that a kiss occurred between the two of them? And why wasn't I there to witness it?'_

The bassist gulped. "So?"

Mugi turned to the other, confused. Having been contemplating the possibilities of when and where could the kiss have occurred, she seemed to forget that she was in the middle of helping Mio figure out something.

"Ah. Mio-chan, you're so-" _'YOU'RE SO TOTALLY YURI FOR RITSU!_' Mugi coughed, the mere thought of it tickling her throat like a feather.

"So what?"

The blonde giggled. "Necking."

"What?"

"It's all about giraffes, Mio-chan."

"Necking?"

Mugi nodded gravely, but there was still a sparkle of mirth in her eyes. "Necking is an important part of a giraffe's life."

"...I see."

"I hope I was able to help, Mio-chan."

'_Not really._' The bassist thought, and she knew that Mugi was aware of this too. Mio's thoroughly lost face screamed it.

The corners of the blonde's lips lifted. Yes, her teammate appeared to be puzzled at her comment and how it related to her own problem. Even so, Mio was a nice girl and wouldn't dare act anything but polite and reserved. She won't demand answers.

"Yes, thank you for your help." Came from the black-haired girl. As expected.

Watching the bassist's unamused expression, Mugi knew that she should feel some guilt, but this was too good to pass up.

'_Mio-chan is a smart girl. She'll figure it out soon enough.'_

_

* * *

_Akiyama Mio sighed loudly. Normally she found the soft rocking motions of the train lulling but today it only served to irritate her.

'_Giraffe? Necking? Necking giraffe? What is that supposed to mean? Is necking even a verb?'_

The bassist found herself contemplating the existence of such a word. Her academical side took over, skimming through memory and logic to formulate a satisfying answer._  
_

"Ah, it's Mio-chan!"

She turned her head to one cheerful bunette rushing towards her, wobbling slightly from the moving train.

"I heard a very heavy sigh!" Yui chirped, and looked accusingly at Mio. "So I came to investigate! What's the problem?" The guitarist asked, plopping onto the free seat next to Mio loudly. An old lady snapped awake with a monstrous snort, startled.

"What makes you think there's anything wrong?" She replied, feigning innocence.

Yui wagged a finger at her as if lecturing a child. "Tsk. Tsk. Don't lie to me. Lying is bad. I can already see your nose grow, Pinocchio."

Mio couldn't help it and took a quick peek at her nose, becoming cross-eyed in the process.

The brunette laughed.

'_First Mugi, now Yui. Akiyama Mio, entertainment at your service_.' The bassist thought crossly. Today was not her day, it seemed.

Yui set her hand amicably on Mio's knee with a grin. Then her face suddenly turned serious. The expression looked frightening on the guitarist. So shocking was the change that whatever thing Yui was about to say right then, Mio was ready treat it with no less respect than words from a prophet.

"Mio-chan, fear is like a mushroom."

Or perhaps not.

"What?"

"It dwells in cold and dark places. You mustn't let it grow. Let the sun shine into your soul because if it's too late, your strawberries will be covered in mold."

"Mold!" She repeated incredulously. Honestly, why can't people give direct advice?

"See, I knew you'd understand, Mio-chan!"

_'I don't understand it at all!'_

"Oh this is my stop! I'll see you later, bye Mio-chan!"

"Yuiiiii!"

* * *

It's no wonder Ritsu acted as tomboyishly as she did.

Girly girls were weak.

Thus more feminine she appeared, the weaker she felt.

Even in kindergarten, she was always the tough girl who warded off that creepy boy from chasing the other little girls. She was the only one who dared confront him. Granted, it resulted in a bleeding nose but it was worth it.

The price that came with protecting others was always worth it.

So why hadn't she protected Mio in the locker room ...from herself?

Well, she couldn't change the past, could she? There's no use fretting over what should've been done.

Now it's everything or nothing.

More careful planning would be needed to proceed. But it was not so easy anymore. Ritsu lamented the loss of her more rational side, blaming it on Mio.

The fact that she actually succeeded, that she broke through somehow was making her feel light-headed. Heck, she didn't even have to follow through with her original plan. Mio had handed her the fuse on a silver platter. What else could the pyromaniac Ritsu do but light it?

Idiot.

What do bombs tend to do?

Explode.

And now, perhaps everything was in shambles. What success was she talking about earlier?

Breakthrough?

Hah, please. The foolishness of what she did may have destroyed everything. What was her original goal again? To fan the flames softly, to approach Mio with a steady but gentle insistence and prod her with that damned blunt pencil.

Instead, she just lit the fuse...and in seconds, her carefully constructed idea, her caution, her self-restraint blew to smithereens.

Along with their blooming friendship.

Along with any hopes of them ever going beyond that.

_'Shit.'_

_

* * *

_Mio got off at her stop, mulling over what Yui said as she began walking home.

Honestly, she had no idea what Yui's little speech about the mushrooms meant, and she wasn't in the mood for figuring out the strange thought patterns of the brunette. But she did not fault the guitarist. Yui was Yui after all.

Mugi didn't help all that much either, and Mio felt guilty for thinking this but on a second note- what did she expect from the blonde?

They both were quite similar in some aspects, though Mugi seemed to be the more lenient one in situations concerning Yui and Ritsu slacking off. Still, they both shared a strange sort of companionship that came with being the responsible and sensible ones of the group. Azusa was responsible too, but she carried a love for regulations that far surpassed both Mio's and Mugi's potential.

There was no question about it. Azusa was _stiff_. Not to mention that she was younger than the bassist, which is why Mio felt slightly ashamed of turning to her with any sort of problem.

Mugi was the perfect candidate.

Mugi, the eccentric rich girl with a motherly nature and a truckload of pastry.

Mugi, forever supporting.

Mugi, Mugi, Mugi.

Mugi left her in the dirt.

The evasiveness of the blonde frustrated her this time because this issue was extremely important to her. Hearing the blonde sum up something that could pass for a riddle the Sphinx came up with was not welcome.

Was it that bad?

She needed answers.

Why didn't Mugi help her?

Mio imagined herself being in the same situation, and she thought that she would help Tsumugi with all her might and state the results without crafting them into a shady little comment on the behaviour of giraffes, whatever those results were.

Come on, Mio. Be honest.

Alright, scratch that. If Mugi turned out to be „positive" on the test which determined whether she was or wasn't attracted to her own sex, the bassist just wouldn't be able to break the news to her.

She could already picture the whole thing if their positions would be reversed.

"So, Mio-chan, what are the results?" Mugi would ask eagerly and starry-eyed.

"It's..eh...uhm..."

"Yes?"

"How to say this...well..."

Mugi would lean closer with a determined face and cheeks puffed out in anticipation.

"...well, you know!"

"I'm sorry, I can't really say that I do. That's why I asked for your assistance, Mio-chan."

Though Tsumugi's cryptic answers were sometimes almost poetic by nature, the bassist knew that the same couldn't be said for her. "...Yeah, you're right. So..um...remember that biology lesson we had last Wednesday?" Yes, a good topic to break the news.

"Don't you remember, Mio-chan? I wasn't in school last Wednesday, we were skiing in Austria."

"I GIVE UP!"

'._..Wait a minute._' She wouldn't be able to say a straight answer if Mugi wasn't ...well, straight. So the fact that Mugi didn't give her one meant that she was...

_'Oh my God.'_

Mio took deep breaths, trying to avoid hyperventilation. It was no use.

"Excuse me, could you tell me what time it is?"

She looked up at the question. It was a woman in her mid-twenties with a nice blue dress that emphasized her figure perfectly. The bassist found herself taking in the sight with slight appreciation-

-then realized what she was doing.

Mio screamed.

"I won't! I'm not like that! NOOOO!"

"Geez sorry, I didn't know it would be such a bother." The lady snapped, and hurried away from the panicking bassist. Mio did not even take notice of her departure and rushed into the nearest kiosk. She headed straight for the magazine rack, frantic stormy eyes skimming over covers with alarming speed. Finally, they rested on a teen magazine. Mio grabbed it, searching through the pages till she found what she was looking for.

_'Oh yes, this will do.'_

It was an article on attractive male celebrities, complete with photographs. Perfect.

Mio took a deep breath, and looked at the first picture.

And looked at it again.

She stared at it for a long while, trying to figure out what in him could be considered as aesthetically pleasing.

_'Maybe it's a fluke. A trick. Spot the odd one out, and I just managed to look at the odd guy.'_

Hoping for better insight, Mio checked the author's comments attached to the photo.

***WARNING GIRLS! TOTAL HOTTIE AHEAD! An early Xmas present for our dear readers ;)***

_'Early Christmas present? It's summer!' _But more importantly there were other, more aggravating facts. Such as her not feeling any remote desire towards the guy. '_Okay, so maybe this man just isn't my type or something.'_ But even as she thought this, her nausea began to creep back.

She checked the second candidate. Nope, too manly.

Moved onto the third one. He had a goatee. Pass.

Fourth. Too much muscle!

Fifth. His features were too sharp.

Sixth. Body was too angled.

Seventh. Flat-chested.

Eighth.

There was no eighth.

_'...'_

With trembling hands she set down the teen magazine and rubbed her forehead, wiping away the moisture that gathered there.

She had no other choice.

Mio picked up the same magazine again, but this time she paused at the fashion tips section. She noted dreadfully that the women displayed there did garner her attention in a positive way.

_'Oh dear. Oh dear, dear, dear.'_

Ritsu would know what she was going through. She could talk to Ritsu and-

_'Yeah sure.'_

Unfortunately, it was Ritsu who stirred up those events so talking them through with her would be a highly uncomfortable and awkward situation.

But once she got over the whole shower-incident –or more like shoved it into a corner of her mind- she had to admit that Ritsu would be the one person she would turn to in this kind of predicament.

The drummer wouldn't dance around the subject like Mugi did.

She wouldn't offer help packed in a heap of childish metaphors much like Yui did.

Ritsu would just say loud and clear what she thought, probably weave in a joke or two to cheer up the bassist and just simply ...be there.

Yes, her presence would be more than enough.

And this is how Mio slowly turned around and ambled off towards the drummer's house with a yearning for comfort mixed with a good dose of anxiousness.

* * *

Ritsu wasn't in the state to craft master plans. She needed inspiration, and fast. Mio was probably in distress, it would do no good to let her thoughts stew for too long, lest things grow against the drummer's favour.

'_Oh wait!_' A past incident sprung to her mind concerning her grandma's cat, Tadakichi.

She remembered spending hours trying to coax the shy animal closer, desperately wishing to pet its silky fur.

Her first attempts ended in a disaster. They involved her trying to capture the poor thing by force, recklessly sprinting after the pet with a gleeful expression and frantically waving arms. Needless to say, Tadakichi retreated to the top of the nearest tree and rewarded Ritsu's efforts with fierce growls and hisses.

Then the drummer switched to new tactics. She laid out a trap for the cat, placing a toy mouse under a cardboard box. The box was half-upheld with a stick that had a string attached to it. Ritsu waited in a nearby bush patiently, and when Tadakichi pounced onto the toy she yanked hard on the string, trapping the animal under the box.

The problem with this was that when she lifted the box to examine her prize, the little furry beast jumped on her arm and carried out its bloodthirsty revenge. (Even now, Ritsu could still trace the pale scars on her skin.)

After her plans didn't bear any fruit, she sat down onto the grass and tried to think of a new, effective way. All the thinking made her thirsty, so she ran back into the house and returned with a glass of milky. Ritsu lay down onto the soft grass, contemplating her next step.

There was a flash of grey in the corner of her eye and the drummer turned her head towards the source, not expecting a tentatively nearing Tadakichi.

Ritsu froze, not wanting to scare the cat away. She followed the movement of Tadakichi's eyes which rapidly alternated between herself and the milk.

Closer.

Closer.

Cloooser.

Just a little bit more-

"GOTCHA!" Ritsu yelled, managing to grab hold of a furry tail. Tadakichi returned the favor by grabbing hold of the drummer's skin with razor sharp claws.

"Get off me!"

"TAINAKA RITSU! LET GO OF THE CAT NOW!" Mrs. Tainaka roared.

"Tell that to the cat!"

'_Ahh the nostalgia. Tadakichi-chan was a real bastard.' _The drummer thought fondly. Come to think of it, the colour of the cat's fur was similar to Mio's eyes.

Not to mention the parallels that could be drawn between their behaviour.

Mio was truly both intimidating and fascinating, the way a wild animal would be. Handling one always carries an underlying sense of danger, an edge of unpredictability. She didn't want to back Mio into a corner and face this magnificent bundle of nerves and tension.

She wasn't trying to provoke her. But rather coax the bassist. Coax her out of her safe element while still managing to make her feel secure on this new territory.

And for that, for Mio to be so sure of herself on uncertain grounds, Ritsu would have to appear to pose less threat than an innocent plush rabbit. Ritsu would have to make herself vulnerable, to open up. Hopefully her display of trust would merit an equal response from the taller girl.

Now, how does one make oneself vulnerable?

* * *

"_With a golden EEEEEEYE! GOLDEN GOLDENEEEEEEYE!"_

The James Bond theme roared through the Tainaka household as Satoshi sat in front of the TV, munching on some popcorn. His eyes intently followed the silhouettes of naked women as they sensually hammered statues of Soviet icons. Sexy.

There was a loud thump and a scream that he recognized as his sister's, but he did not pay much attention to it and instead reached for another heap of popcorn with an admirable indifference.

These sort of things happened all the time in the Tainaka household anyway. The most surprising thing would be an uninterrupted period of silence. So far their record was 5 minutes.

Besides, he knew that if Ritsu was having any major problem she would just turn up and whine loudly over the matter.

As if on cue, footsteps approached. He waited for the shrill voice that his sister used whenever she complained about something.

But nothing came.

The unusual silence was what finally made him turn his head away from the screen. He raised an eyebrow.

"What happened? You look like a girl."

Huhh, not the positive response the drummer had been expecting.

"Well, is it that horrible?" She asked.

Ritsu was feeling very self-conscious of her carefully arranged hair. One of the strands kept tickling her stubbornly and she struggled not to run her hands through the neatly swept bangs.

"It's strange. I'm not used to seeing you like this."

But this was her last chance. A last ditch attempt of drawing Mio to her ...it merited a sacrifice.

Even so, Satoshi's reaction was not very encouraging. Sure, she did not aim for a miraculous makeover that would transform her into Princess Ritsu, but she was hoping to gain some feminine charm. Something to soften her rough edges.

The drummer let out a heavy sigh. Her disappointment was palpable even in the unfitting atmosphere, with the sound of gunshots and James Bond's blatant flirting providing background music.

Sensing something off with his sister, Satoshi tried to amend his previous comment. "Ehh it's not like it looks bad. It's just a bit weird." He scratched his head, unsure what to do. "Anyways, why are you asking me stupid questions like this? Go ask mum, I'm sure she'll be glad to give her your opinion."

A mother's opinion was not always the most honest source, but Ritsu was desperate."Yeah, I think I will."

"She won't be home 'till eight."

"I know. I'm going back to my room."

"Ok."

She headed for the door. Satoshi looked at her from the corner of his eye, his lips suddenly forming a grin.

"Hey sis, does that mean you'll start watching America's Next Top Model now?"

"Why you little-!" Ritsu growled, and ran back to wrap her little brother in an affectionate chokehold.

The doorbell rang and startled the siblings to a halt.

Ritsu went to answer it, preparing to decline any and all offers of supposedly fantastic deals. No, she did not want a microwave that had a built-in GPS and could peel your potatoes whilst singing Christmas carols backwards. No way.

"Listen, I don't want anythi-"

"Ritsu." Mio began. Grey eyes were firmly fixated on the doormat, not planning to elevate her gaze anytime soon.

The drummer was completely dumbstruck. The other's unexpected arrival hit her like a ton of bricks.

The bassist –still keeping her eyes lowered and intently observing the various ant colonies that waded their way through the doormat- gulped, then furrowed her eyebrows in determination and began shakily.

"Ritsu, I'm a giraffe, and I don't want my strawberries to be covered in mold!"

The drummer was still in shock, Mio's words not even registering in her brain. She was not prepared for this. She tried to stutter out something, at least Mio's name which wasn't too long so it shouldn't have been a hard task, but failed miserably.

Curiosity got the better of the bassist, who looked up to see just what was the cause of those strange choking sounds.

And then promptly choked on her saliva.

_'R-Ritsu?'_

_

* * *

_

**OMAKE - **Lost in translation

Mio contemplated over what Yui said about mushrooms.

The brunette's thought patterns were too complex. Only an expert could make sense of them!

Yui continued to spew nonsense in her perfectly illogical Yui-logic that never failed her.

"Mio-chan, dreams of headphones brushing their teeth will read newspapers."

The bassist needed assistance.

Luckily, the resident Yui-expert was nearby.

"Azusa! Can you translate Yui's gibberish, please?"

"Sure."

Yui continued to bestow sagely advice. "Old ladies disco at dusk."

Azusa translated without missing a beat. "She says tomorrow it's going to be a rainy day."

"Pick my nose with a lawn mower as we hear neon green."

"She says she forgot where the homework is for next week."

"Oh, it's on page 67."

* * *

**AN: **Aw, another cliffhanger. :D The giraffe thing will be explained next chapter.

**Anon. review replies**

**m - **It didn't bother me at all. :D If anything, your demands push me to write faster. xD Yeah it's a pity Mio didn't reciprocate ...yet. *whistles innocently* Anyhow, glad you like it and I hope you found this chap enjoyable too!

**ewan - **That's great to hear! This chapter was Mio's "denial" part, now she has made up her mind and is ready to take things head-on! So we're over the boring part. Yay! :) Did I manage to remain unpredictable? ;p

**Hateluv - **Aww, thanks a lot! And don't worry, random is good! Randomness spices things up. xD Yup, so I'm not the only one who thought that of Come With Me. And nice song title usage in your p.s. :D I want a Mugi too. :0

**Gin-tan - **Haha, thanks for the long review, I love 'em. :D Maybe Usa-chan hasn't...and now Mugi is psychoanalyzing too. xD Arrrg. Yeah, musicians rock! High-five! (I'm flutesexual...hehe) Yes, Mugi has teh power! And...maybe, maybe I'll do an uncensored side-story. But not anytime soon! Gosh, you flatter me too much. :D I love ya too! :3

**zoelol - **Damn, I'm sorry I took so long. Hopefully you liked this one too? More Mitsu action in the next chapter, I promise. :) Mitsu for ever indeed. :D

**Erinu - **You're too kind. ^^ Thank you~

**Christine - **No one can top Mugi in her own game! Lol, I shall try running in a pink headband too someday. :) *grins*

** - **Thanks! ;D Love your name. xD

**zxcv - **HERE YOU GOOOOOOO! SORRYYYY! DX

**1234 - **I think you can already guess Mio's response. :D And here you go, ANOTHER DAMN CLIFFHANGER! ;D Sorry. xD


	10. Chapter 10

**AN:** I'm late again. STICKS AND STONES MAY BREAK MY BONES... and so may impatient readers, eh? :D I was and still am very busy, sorry.

In case some of you were wondering about Yui's words before: Fear is like a mushroom. If you're afraid of your own nature(Mio afraid of being attracted to girls) and not let the truth/love(sunshine) shine into your soul, then your heart(strawberry) will rot away. All clear?

I hope you all ENJOOOOOY the new addition to the story and forgive me for the long wait. x)

* * *

That silly grey cloud kept dabbing at the sun, not quite managing to obscure it. There was a stray ray of sunlight shining down upon Earth. Right into her face.

No matter how hard she squinted, the light still found it's way into her eye, turning russet irises into the striking redness of blood.

Something bad was about to happen.

Azusa could feel it.

The way Yui gorged down that pack of sweets she got from Ui _("Onee-chan, make sure you share it with your friends!") _was a sure sign of impending doom.

After all, what was more annoying than Yui?

Yui on a sugar high.

The little kouhai shivered.

Her, the brunette and Mugi were walking down the street in relative silence. Yui was too busy munching on her prey, Azusa kept contemplating the consequences of Yui munching on said prey, and Mugi's mouth opened and closed several times, like a fish. She probably wished to initiate a conversation but was too shy to do so.

'_Is it okay to disturb this special silence between friends? Isn't it sacred?'_

Finally, she gathered her wits together and opened with a rather unusual topic.

"I was bored once so I decided to look up animals that display homosexual behaviour on wikipedia."

There was a moment of silence.

Azusa looked to be in shock, whereas Yui had something else too in her expression which could pass for admiration.

"Wow Mugi-chan, you study biology in your free time too? "

This earned her a slap on her shoulder.

"Don't sound amazed!" The kouhai reprimanded.

Mugi was openly beaming and decided to continue, for the fate of casual conversation rested in her hands now. Too bad her sense of 'casual' did not probably match that of the average person.

"It turns out that male giraffes indulge a lot in that sort of behaviour. They have a special activity called necking. They basically rub their necks against each other's as a way to pleasure themselves."

'_And she said all that with a straight face.' _ Thought Azusa with a deadpan expression. After hearing Mugi's exotic piece of information, she decided to be wary of not only Yui and her potential sugar high, but also of Tsumugi, who was turning out to be more and more like those ridiculously polite and filthy rich people who always indulged in a bunch of eccentric hobbies when no one was looking.

After all, who has been into the Kotobuki mansion? Was it even a mansion? It could be a palace, or a castle or –God forbid- even a country.

And who could honestly guess at what secrets it contained? For all she knew, the keyboardist could be secretly breeding ferrets in her basement because she enjoyed tickling their tummies.

The little guitarist paused with a frown, then shook her head. _'Nah, that would be more like Mio-senpai.'_

The keyboardist, of course, remained unaware of the fact that some of her pastime activities may arouse suspicion in the eyes of any normal citizen. Citizens like Nakano Azusa, for example. Naturally, Yui did not qualify into any group which contained the word 'normal ' in it.

So while the kouhai kept squinting her russet eyes at Mugi in a vain attempt of trying to figure her out, Yui remained as amazed as she had been a few seconds earlier.

"Mugi-chan! You sound like a professional!"

Azusa tenderly pinched the bridge of her nose and slowly massaged it.

'_Yui-senpai, you're not getting the point.'_

"You should narrate in the National Geographic channel! Shouldn't she, Azunyan? Shouldn't she? She'd be so good at it! Ne, Azunyan? Ne?"

The brunette latched onto her favourite kouhai (Ui would weep if she knew this, for she was also the underclassman of her sister), and decided to shower her with undivided attention the way only a three-year-old could.

"Heeey, why aren't you answering me? Azunyaaan."

She also got just as whiny as any three-year-old would when being ignored. Little did Yui know that Azusa did not bother to respond because she was busy trying to remain sane under the current circumstances.

The task proved to be surprisingly difficult when there was a mentally deranged, sugar-fueled mass holding onto her and emitting annoying sounds in an equally sugary voice. Not to count the blond ojou-sama, who was simply something that could not be identified. And people always were wary of things they were unable comprehend.

"Azunyaaaaan! Are you ignoring meee?"

'_Patience. When dealing with Yui-senpai, one must possess patience.'_

"Oh my gosh, you are! Bad Azunyan! Bad!"

The kouhai's eyebrow twitched. She kept repeating her mantra, using it as a shield to block out the brunette. Mugi was still frozen in a state where she could do naught but beam from Yui's compliments regarding her possible career as a documentary narrator.

"Oh wait, granny only scolds the dog like that. How do you scold a cat? Mugi-chan?"

"You spray water on it." The blonde supplied cheerfully.

"Okay! ...But wait, how can I do that?"

Yui squinted her eyes in deep thought. She then blew her mightiest, wettest raspberry at Azusa, showering her in spit.

'_When dealing with an excited Yui-senpai, one must possess even more patience. More. Patience. I am the mountain of peace. I stand strong and silent. I am the mountain of peace . Oh my God, did she just spit at me? I'm going to kill her. I don't care if she grins cutely or hugs me. It won't work...okay, well maybe. If it's that tiny sheepish smile. That one's my favourite. ...-Whoa, I did not just admit that. No way. I don't care about such things. I am the mountain.'_

Unbeknownst to her, she said the last sentence out loud.

"What? You're the mountain?" The brunette asked.

The kouhai rolled her eyes. She could go along with this. Sure,why not? The damage was done anyway.

"Yes, Yui-senpai. I am the mountain. I stand strong and calm." She answered, words heavily laced with sarcasm.

Yui took a deep sigh, as if preparing to chastise a child.

"Azunyan, just because the mountain looks strong, it doesn't mean it is. It may seem that the mountain can brake the waves, for example, but actually the many waves will slowly but surely defeat the mountain."

"...What?"

On a second note, deciding to humor her senpai was a stupid idea.

Hirasawa Yui was a mess. Like a ball of yarn. One that little kittens always get tangled into.

Yui pinned the kouhai with a 'duh!' expression. "Waves, Azunyan! Waves!"

She made sure to enounciate her words with _waving_ arms. To make it more authentic, the brunette also made sure to _crash_ into Mount Nakano, just like in her metaphor.

"Can you feel it now, Azunyan? Can you feel the waves slowly chipping away at you?"

Mugi, seeing the rapidly darkening look of the small guitarist, tried to deliver a subtle hint to Yui. "Ano, Yui-chan, I think she understands now."

"Oh? Can you really, Azunyan?" Even though the brunette felt she should've stopped by now, she still couldn't help but deliver a few more waves against the mountain. It was just the amount needed to make the other snap.

"ENOUGH!"

Azusa latched onto Yui's shoulders and began to shake her wildly.

"I got your point! Get it? I got it!"

"Azunyan, mountains are not supposed to move!"

"GAH!"

"Azusa-chan, you're hurting her!"

"That's the point!"

Mugi bit her lip nervously. Not even she could mistake the current events for affection.

'_Well, unless we're speaking about BDSM roleplaying...'_

But no, that was not fit for her dearest, innocent bandmates. She had to stop them somehow.

'_What to do...what to do..a topic that raises interest! What did we talk about with Father this morning? Hungary's controversial new media law?'_

Somehow she doubted her friends found politics as interesting as she did.

The blonde was starting to panic. Nothing worthwhile seemed to come to her mind.

'_Think! Think!_'

"Umm, um, MIO LIKES RITSU!" Mugi blurted out.

It worked, as Azusa stopped trying to asphyxiate her fellow guitarist. "What?"

Yui seemed indifferent. "I already knew that."

Rusty eyes fixated onto her.

"...What?" _'Am I the only one who didn't know this?'_

The brunette pinched one cheek of the kouhai affectionately. "Don't worry, Azunyan. Mio didn't know it either."

"She didn't? But then how are _you_ so sure?"

Mugi let a small giggle escape, glad that her distraction had worked and excited about the new topic. "Oh, I talked to Mio-chan not long ago. Ricchan was clearly on her mind, even if she didn't realize it yet."

Yui puffed her chest out with pride. "She should know it by now. I gave her my Sagely Advice."

Tsumugi's interest perked up at that. "Oh, what did you tell her?"

The kouhai waved it off. "It wouldn't make much difference, Mugi-senpai. I doubt Mio-senpai would get enlightened by whatever thing Yui-senpai has to say. If anything, it probably made her even more confused."

"Aww Azunyan, you can be so harsh sometimes. Luckily I know that all of this is an act, and that underneath your grumpiness there is nothing but love for your senpai!"

Azusa froze.

"Azusa-chan, are you alright?" Asked a worried Mugi.

"Azunyan? Azunyan! Are you playing mountain again?"

"...You baka."

"She's back!"

"Welcome back, Azusa-chan." Mugi greeted pleasantly with a smile.

"I didn't go anywhere!"

Yui poked the kouhai's forehead. "You sure went to 'la-la land' for a second there, Azunyan."

"I did not go to 'la-la land'!"

"Aww, you're so cute when you're childish!"

"I am NOT childish!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

The blonde watched their exchange with smiling eyes. Could this day be any better? Mio was beginning to realize her affections for Ritsu, Yui and Azusa were practicing verbal foreplay-

'_My my, I shouldn't be thinking such inappropriate thoughts!' _The keyboardist giggled lightly. Her two comrades stopped their verbal forepla- ehh, banter, and turned to look at her, fascinated by the sound bubbling out from her throat.

'_Wow, Mugi-chan's laugh is so pretty.' _The brunette thought in awe._  
_

'_If that isn't the epitome of innocence, I don't know what is.' _Azusa couldn't be more off the mark..._  
_

Yui noticed a tiny shining spot on the corner of Mugi's lips and grinned.

"Mugi-chan, you're drooling!"

Tsumugi wiped at her mouth with a cashmere handkerchief, embarrassed. "Ah sorry, I must've gotten too engrossed in my daydream."

The brunette wore a sympathetic look upon hearing that. "Yeah I know how you feel. Cakes are impossible to resist."

A ringtone cut through the silence. Mugi answered it, her expression slowly morphing into one of displeasure as the conversation progressed. Once she finished and put away her mobile, she addressed the other two girls with a sad look.

"I'm sorry, but something urgent has come up and I must go now. How about we meet up at the park in an hour?"

"Of course. It's no problem, Mugi-senpai." Azusa reassured her, Yui's head bobbing up and down behind the kouhai to show her agreement.

"Great! See you later then!"

* * *

'_R-Ritsu?'_

She wasn't sure how to handle this. Or to be more precise, she wasn't sure how to handle Ritsu. Ever since the drummer landed into her life with nothing short of an explosion, Mio has found herself facing a multitude of situations set off by the smaller girl.

Right, her life had been so peaceful before meeting their drummer. Up till then, Mio had lived like a contented house cat, enjoying the simple pleasures of an uncomplicated life in a comfortable home or spending time with her friends, none of which were too rowdy or anything. Yes, all had been calm and well. Just the way she liked it.

Then Yui had introduced them Ritsu.

If Mio was a domestic house cat, then Ritsu was a lion.

At first, she had been irritated. Ritsu barged into her life with the confidence and arrogance of a king, a lion roaring all the way as if she owned everything. This behaviour made Mio's hackles rise and she wasn't hesitant to show her own claws. The two of them bickered constantly during their early days together.

And yet, she couldn't help but grow closer to Ritsu at a frighteningly fast pace. Couldn't help but come to admire the smaller girl. But at the same time, the bassist also felt intimidated. Those amber eyes were always shining so boldly.

Just like a lion. Like a predator.

But now? The drummer seemed to have lost that edge of confidence. She appeared harmless. Standing there and looking so delicate, so fragile, so _deliciously vulnerable._

And that affected Mio somehow. She couldn't help but react accordingly. Something stirred within her, making the tall girl raise her head just a tad bit higher and search for Ritsu's gaze intentionally instead of avoiding it like she usually did, her feelings of fear evaporating at the sight. At the sight of this new phenomenon.

Their roles have reversed.

Ritsu was the shy, domestic kitten waiting to be petted.

And Mio was the panther. The predator.

Grey eyes glinted dangerously, hinting at the storm brewing within.

_

* * *

_Mugi was walking down the street at a leisure pace. Everything seemed to be well around her, but there was something nagging in the back of her mind.

She had successfully finished her business and was now on her way to the park. A bit early, but that's how she liked it.

The hair on her nape prickled and Tsumugi stopped in an instant. She knew to trust her instincts, which were always precise and accurate.

Her instincts, which were trying to make a point. Of what, she wasn't quite sure.

But there was something in the air.

'_Hmm.'_

The blonde paused and took a sniff into the crisp afternoon breeze.

Yes, there was decidedly a disturbance in the atmosphere.

Should she ignore it? Or try and figure it out?

'_Wait a minute-'_

Her senses started tingling, finally able to recognize the anomaly and thus unravel the mystery.

'_There is yuri nearby._' She thought to herself.

The bushes rattled a bit as Detective Tsumugi followed the trail of yuri scent with admirable resolve. For a split-second she took notice of the neighbourhood which seemed quite familiar, but she payed no further attention to it and instead pressed on.

Her eyes flickered about suspiciously, not letting any detail escape their careful vigilance. By chance, the two clear-blue irises settled on a board that had the name of the street on it. Suddenly, it clicked together.

Ritsu lived in this street.

In a flash of blonde, the keyboardist sprinted away, no longer having to guess where the source was.

She knew perfectly well just where to go.

Mugi ran faster than she has ever had before. Actually, it was not that fast, since the ojou-sama never really got into situations that required athletical prowess. P.E. was her one great weakness when it came to achieving perfect grades. But now, she pushed herself harder. She put her heart into it. And even though her run looked far too delicate and leisurely, like an autumn leaf being blown along by the soft current, it had all the passion of a professional Olympic sprinter.

She could already spot the fence of the Tainaka household. Mugi gradually slowed down and continued the rest of her journey in a crouch, mindful of not letting herself be spotted. It didn't help that her pale gold tresses reflected sunlight similar to a mirror, making her hair shine like a beacon of hope, innocence and other idealistic notions. Like a halo.

Saint Tsumugi was nearing.

Granted, she was nearing in a weird crouching position with an indescribable expression on her face that was most definitely unsaintly, but she was nearing nonetheless.

Tremble, foolish mortals.

An old lady looked out her window and spotted the blonde girl with a glowing head.

Inexplicably, she was struck by the urge to write poetry.

Sapphic poetry(1).

How curious.

Meanwhile, Tsumugi decided to take cover behind one of the many bushes next to the fence of Ritsu's house. From her position she had a perfect view of the porch.

Lo and behold! There stood Akiyama Mio, wearing an expression that was a strange cross between anxiety and ..hunger? Mugi wouldn't dare hope yet, it looked too good to be true. The door of the house was open, Ritsu being the person standing in the doorway, of course. Mugi would have a heart attack if the one on the receiving end of Mio's quasi-lustful look was Satoshi or worse yet, Ritsu's parents. The blonde shuddered.

But this, this setting was just perfect for interesting things to occur. Not to mention the drummer's appearance. Fascinating.

Mugi recalled Yui's words and felt like one of those Natural Geographic channel reporters, lying in wait behind the bushes and observing exotic species in Africa.

_'Mating season's early this year.'_

She thought of necking giraffes, and had to hold back a snicker. Kotobukis don't snicker, and now that she thought about it, Mugi even doubted her vocal chords could perform such an action.

The sun shone teasingly from the corner of her eye, reminding her of her previous engagement with Yui and Azusa.

Right, she should be heading over to the park soon to meet her bandmates.

She should.

'_And miss this golden opportunity? I know something will happen. I can feel it.'_

She could also feel the guilt that came from disappointing your friends.

'_What to do, what to do?'_

Mugi's eyes lit up. She took out her mobile and dialed a number. The blonde then spoke with hushed whispers, mindful of Ritsu and Mio's close proximity.

Oh yes, she could hit two birds with one stone.

* * *

Mio's words have just registered in the drummer's brain.

_'Ritsu, I'm a giraffe, and I don't want my strawberries to be covered in mold? What the heck does that mean?'_

She had an inkling feeling that she should be laughing right now, but she just couldn't get the joke. In this case, there were two available options for her. The drummer could either: a) fake a laugh or b) tell the bassist that a career as a comedian would not be advisable for her.

Well, honesty is the best course to take between friends...or whatever they were. If Ritsu went through with her plans, they wouldn't be friends anymore, one way or the other.

Anyhow, the drummer made up her mind.

"Mio, I think you would suck as a comedian. Sorry."

Ritsu, albeit feeling naked without her headband, risked a glance at the other's eyes-

-and had to do a double take.

Mio seemed lost in her own world and clearly did not process what the other just said. No, the bassist looked rather hungry...and this unnerved the short girl for some reason. Ritsu gulped and scratched her neck nervously. The taller girl's fierce gaze set off alarm bells in her head, something along the lines of _'SHE'S GONNA TEAR A CHUNK OUT OF YOU!' _and yet instead of running away she stood in place frozen, noting the distinct heat of arousal creep through her body.

'_Okay, today is definitely one of those weird days...I mean, I dress up like a girl and then coincidentally Mio turns up. She tries to tell me some lame joke, which she has never done before, then stares at me like I'm some damned Happy Meal. I could run back into the house and lock the door, but I'm getting turned on instead. How sad. Sounds like some cannibalism fetish, which I absolutely do NOT have...'_

There was a sudden flash of hesitance in Mio's eyes. Ritsu noticed it immediately- she had been staring at the bassist's face for the past minutes or so, after all.

Uncertainty.

Just this small gesture of Mio was enough to turn everything upside down again –or in this case- back to their original roles.

The black haired girl looked ready to flee. '_I-I can't-'_

A sudden grip on her wrist halted her thoughts.

"Stop repressing yourself, damnit!" Ritsu growled, and crushed their lips together.

Mio response was instantaneous, making her feel a bit ashamed. She absently recalled the countless romance books and manga that she so loved to read. In those stories, when the heroine got surprised by the "First Sudden Significant Kiss" from her beloved, there was always a split-second where she would stand shocked, dumbfounded and unable to respond in kind. Thus to the bassist it would've seemed more appropriate to freeze just a bit before eagerly returning the favor.

But Mio was a passionate creature, and Ritsu was spot-on- the taller girl was indeed trying to repress this side of hers, which resulted in all that energy seeking release as panic. She panicked. Just until Ritsu's touch, a welcome source to channel her passion through.

She was a storm of emotions, she felt lightning pass between them as their lips continuously sought each other in a feverish desperation.

This release, the flow of bottled up emotions finally coming free...Mio's eyes were just about rolling back into her head from the pleasure of it all.

She needed more friction, more electricity.

Her hands roamed over Ritsu's sides, feeling the soft cotton fabric of her top and clinging to it.

Suddenly, the drummer broke away for much needed air with a groan. She knew that there was something lurking underneath the shy exterior of the other, she had noticed its underlying tint in Mio's voice every time she sung. But Ritsu never would've imagined that inner ...beast of the bassist to be this-..this-

"Mio, you're-"

"Shush." Mio growled, and dove back again. She licked the drummer's lips and vaguely registered their salty taste which reminded her of hamburger steak. It clashed strangely with her own strawberry-flavoured lip balm (which she had started using about a month ago, the constant stress and frustration prompting her to chew her lips on several occasions).

At one point Ritsu pushed Mio against the doorframe, matching the bassist's passion with equal fervor. The drummer was never one to back down from a challenge, after all.

The taller girl felt provoked somehow, and did not hesitate to initiate her comeback, long fingers digging into Ritsu's scalp and latching onto honeyed tresses. This caused the other to bite Mio's plump lower lip with a purr.

'_Mmm, strawberries.'_

The two of them looked positively wild. Lost in their own world, they did not notice an old couple ogling them from the other side of the street, the elderly lady muttering curses under her breath and her equally old male companion smacking his lips thoughtfully.

They did not hear the sound of a glass shattering on the floor, of liquid splashing onto the carpet, nor did they see Satoshi's astonished face complete with a milk moustache.

And they most definitely did not feel the gaze of the three pairs of eyes staring at them from the nearest bush.

* * *

"And we now move onto our weather report: ohoho, the temperature is hot hot hot! Make sure you grab your musical equipment and your bandmates- now is the perfect time for a training camp by the beach!"

"Yui-senpai!"

"What?"

"The least you can do is be quiet or they will hear us! It's bad enough that we are peeking at our own bandmates from a bush!" _'How did I get dragged into this? Oh right, Mugi-senpai called us. But why am I still here?'_

"Don't worry, Azusa-chan. This bush is bushy enough to provide us efficient cover." Mugi supplied helpfully.

Yui let out a giggle-snort. "Bushy bush..."

"I am serious!" Azusa whispered harshly. She seethed as Yui seemingly ignored her warning and lifted her hands to pat the kouhai's head, then play with her twintails.

"Don't worry, Azunyan. I don't think they can notice anything right now apart from each other."

Sure enough, when the little guitarist turned to sneak another look at the heated pair, she saw that they've become even more busy. A blush exploded onto her face, prompting Yui and Mugi to gush at her.

"Aww, she's adorable, isn't she!"

"How cute~!"

"Just like a kitten!"

"Nee nee, Azunyan, say 'nyan'."

_'Are you on drugs?_' "Are you serious?"

"Nyaaan! Come on, say it!"

'_Oh God_.' Azusa hoped that at least Mugi was on her side. She turned towards the blonde, only to see Mugi shape her hands into paws and claw at her playfully.

'_Oh God. Mugi-senpai too_.' Though she couldn't deny that the ojou-sama was quite adorable whilst pretending to be a cat.

Yui grinned mischievously. With Azusa's attention diverted, now was the perfect time to strike!

Like a bear trap, the brunette snapped her arms around the little guitarist in a bear hug. She then proceeded to nuzzle her cheek against Azusa's. The twintailed girl tried to escape, but her efforts were in vain. She saw Mugi wink at her from the corner of her eye.

_'Traitor!'_

Hot breath caressed her ear as Yui whispered into it. "Now, now, Azunyan. It's not nice to ignore your superior."

Azusa hissed angrily. In terms of intelligence, the idea of Yui being superior was laughable.

"That's not a way to behave for a little kitten, is it? I'd rather hear you purr." The brunette trailed a finger down the smaller girl's spine lazily, making her shiver.

_'Does she even know what this is doing to me?_' Sometimes Azusa doubted her senpai was as innocent as she appeared. But that thought always disappeared as fast as it came. The notion was absurd. And scary. Yui being aware of her actions and merely toying with them under the facade of an innocent, helpless little creature? Impossible.

There was a sudden poke in her side and the kouhai squeaked out.

"NYAAAA!"

"Haha, I did it!"

Azusa quietly bubbled for 3 minutes like lava, and then erupted.

"YUI-SENPAI!"

"Mugi-chan, mission accomplished! ...Mugi-chan? Mugi-chan!"

After hearing no response, the brunette turned back to Tsumugi who lay on the floor, passed out.

"She fainted! But why?"

Perhaps such pleasant, close interactions between the two girls have tired out the ojou-sama.

They began to crawl over next to their keyboardist, but a voice made them freeze.

"Were you _**spying**_ on us?"

It was Mio.

And she looked pissed.

Yui and Azusa gulped simultaneously.

* * *

The old couple was still there.

Staring at them.

The lady was still content with continuing to grumble obscenities about today's youth.

Her companion still kept smacking his lips every now and then.

Ritsu and Mio still didn't give a damn.

Both were breathing heavily by then.

"Scaredy cat." Ritsu panted into Mio's ear. _'I almost- I almost thought you'd run away from me.'_

The thought caused her to panic slightly and, fearing another escape attempt by Mio once she has come to her senses, the drummer made sure to latch onto the taller girl. Using both her hands and teeth.

The bassist yelped as Ritsu bit into her neck. This was all too much, waves of sensations clashing within her. She was drowning in them. And yet she kept craving for more.

Ritsu's presence was much like saltwater- Mio drank it in to quench her thirst, but was ultimately left feeling even more parched than before.

Her fingers were still tangled in short locks, and the continued assault on her neck prompted the bassist to scrape her nails over Ritsu's scalp, dragging them down till the nape.

Their interactions were frantic. Aggressive. Each struggling to make the most of it while it lasted whilst battling the other for control.

Both were extremely stubborn individuals, neither of them backing down.

For each gasp they let escape, they made sure to coax a sigh out of the other.

Mio's fingers lightly pulled at Ritsu's hair on her nape, causing the drummer to let out a sound that was enticingly feminine and yet so primal.

Ritsu countered by dipping her fingers into the hollow of Mio's spine and caressing her skin. The bassist's sensual groan, however, was drowned out by a much louder cry that came from the direction of ...the bushes?

"NYAAAA!"

The sharp noise broke them out of their daze. Mio jumped away, her usual timidity snapping back into place like clockwork.

Ritsu scratched the back of her neck nervously then winced, her fingers touching upon the burning trails that the bassist's nails have left mere moments ago. She snuck a peek at Mio's face, fearing what she'd find there. Disgust or regret maybe?

To her surprise, the other wore an expression that was just... plain cute. It spoke of distaste, but the way the dark eyebrows hunched over gray eyes and the small wrinkle that followed the scrunched up nose was far more comical than worrisome.

The drummer wondered what she could be thinking about, to make such a face.

Mio ran her fingers through her bangs nervously. _'Oh God, I acted like a sex-crazed freak!'_ She wanted to bolt away, or let the ground swallow her up by some miracle.

"YUI-SENPAI!"

They were both jolted yet again by the loud cry. The bassist narrowed her eyes.

"Isn't that Azusa?"

Her companion nodded, pointing to the bushes. "There."

Mio marched towards the bush. Ritsu made to follow her, but spotted something -or someone- from the corner of her eyes, making her pause slightly.

Golden eyes narrowed at another set of similarly tinted irises.

"You were there watching us the whole time? You little pervert!"

Satoshi was still frozen in place, staring off into space.

The drummer's steps thundered against the floor as she neared her brother. Suddenly her stomps were replaced by a crunch and she halted, looking down.

"You better clean this up before mom gets home! I'd help you, but seeing that you have enough free time to ogle us making out..." Ritsu trailed off, scowling.

Her brother blinked confusedly. Clean up the what?

He looked down and saw the milk-glass swamp that had successfully swamped their carpet. Oh. When did that happen?

"And wipe that milk moustache off your face. What are you, four?"

He absent-mindedly swiped his sleeve over his mouth. His sister seemed sour. Was she on her period or something?

* * *

"Were you _**spying**_ on us?"

"Mio-chan!"

"Mio-senpai!"

"Mio...-chan? Is that you?"

"Mugi-senpai!"

"Mugi-chaaan! You're awake!"

Mio let loose a growl to gain back the other three girls' attention. "I asked you a question."

Gulps echoed.

"Yes, yes you did! One that has a question mark at the end if we write it down on paper!"

"...Yui-senpai."

"Well, isn't it true?"

"That's not the point!"

Mio was starting to lose her patience. "I'll ask you one last time. Were you spying on us?"

Mugi let out a small, defeated sigh. "We were-"

"-doing community service!" Azusa interjected. She wasn't one for lying, but taking into consideration Mio's look...well...she wasn't one for dying either.

"Community service?" The bassist's eyebrow rose sceptically.

Yui latched onto the opportunity. "Yes! We were...serving...the community!"

Grey eyes snapped to the brunette faster than lightning. "You! I still haven't forgiven you for that weird advice you gave me!"

Azua rolled her eyes. _'I knew it. Yui-senpai's advice brings nothing but trouble._'

Tsumugi hurried to the brunette's aid, seeing that the kouhai was in no rush to do so. "She was only trying to help, in her own unique way."

Yui snickered. "And judging by the last few minutes it worked well, didn't it?"

An overall silence followed her statement, spiced only with the sounds of Mio choking on her saliva.

"What on Earth is going on here?" Ritsu yelled loudly, announcing her presence. Under normal circumstances her commanding tone would've demanded respect from the band members in an instant. But with her current appearance it was hard to take her seriously.

"Ricchan, you look beautiful!" Mugi gushed, able to voice her opinion now that she wasn't hiding behind the bush.

Yui nodded. "Oho, you look like a model!" Her lips then parted into a mischievous grin. "Maybe even a princess. Ritsu-hime!"

"It's hard to believe, but Ritsu-senpai does look like a proper girl." Azusa added in an incredulous tone.

The drummer gritted her teeth, more annoyed than pleased by her comrades' reactions. She opened her mouth to form a snappy retort but found the others already cowering in fear.

'_Huh_?'

It took her some seconds to notice that their gazes were not directed at her, but rather to her left- where Mio stood.

Looking over her shoulder to the source, she also let out an involuntary shiver.

Mio was giving off her most Arctic glare yet, a not so subtle warning for the others to stop teasing Ritsu.

The drummer cast a wide grin.

"Oh my! Could it be? Akiyama-sama defending the soiled honor of this delicate maiden?"

Only then did the bassist become conscious of what she was doing. A small rosy tint brought colour to her pale cheeks but other than that she did not feel remorse for her actions. Ritsu really was beautiful, and she found it unjust that the others noticed this only now.

And even when they had noticed, they did not seem to appreciate it as much as she did. Well, maybe except for Mugi. But who knew what was going on in the head of that blonde anyway?

Azusa snorted. "If you're a delicate maiden then I'm a-"

Mio's stare was as threatening as a guillotine.

"...-a guitarist." The kouhai finished lamely, then scratched her neck with slight discomfort.

"Akiyama-sama rushes to my rescue yet again? My hero!" Ritsu gushed in a faux-maidenly voice.

"Don't push it." The bassist warned.

But the drummer did just that. "Ah Romio, why art thou as cold as the leftovers in my fridge?" She sighed dramatically.

"Why, you ask."

"Why, indeed. Why, why, wh-OW! What was that for?"

"Stop being so annoying! This is all your fault anyway!"

"Aren't you being a bit childish here? I'm not the one who invited them over!" Ritsu grumbled irately, holding a hand to her now red forehead and gesturing at the trio with the other.

"And how should I know that?...It could be another stupid prank of yours!"

"What the hell? Are you bipolar? I could swear that I didn't hear you complain when your mouth was latched onto mine!"

"You're the one to speak? I wonder who left this mark on my neck then!"

The drummer was tired and frustrated of following Mio's rapid mood-changes. Her control was slipping.

"Got nothing to say to that, huh?" Mio remarked snidely.

"I THOUGHT YOU'D RUN AWAY FROM ME, DAMNIT!"

"...You what?"

"I- I was- I didn't want you to leave..." _'I can't believe I let that slip. But you get scared so easily. It's hard not to worry.' _Ritsu thought bitterly.

Mio was absolutely flabbergasted. She stared at the ground, unsure. A few seconds passed by in silence before the taller girl parted her lips to whisper timidly. "I-I know it must be hard for you. I'm sorry. B-But please ...be patient with me."

'_...Is that an invitation?'_

Amber eyes snapped up, filled with hope.

The two of them did not even notice that Azusa and Yui have decided to escape during their fight.

They also did not notice that Mugi merely relocated her position and was now intently observing them from another bush.

"...I'll try." Ritsu replied with a sunny grin.

* * *

**OMAKE – Heroes unmasked!**

Yui heard resolute purring as she ironed her t-shirt and wondered if the iron was alive.

She then left it on and sat on the sofa inconspicuously, sneaking a look at the object every now and then.

About five minutes later the iron started sighing. Nevermind the fact that it had been programmed that way to alert the user that it was on.

"Iron-san, you can't trick me. Or should I say...Iron Man? I know your true identity!" She pointed her finger accusingly at the household appliance.

"Onee-chan, who are you talking to?" Ui's question was heard from upstairs.

"Iron Man!"

"...Oh, ok. Make sure you switch off the TV when you're done!"

"Okay!"

* * *

**BELATED NEW YEAR'S OMAKE** (2011 is the year of the rabbit, after all!)

_Counseling is now open.- _The note on the door read._  
_

The girl who had been waiting for her turn tentatively approached the white door and entered the counseling room.

"Dr. Usa-chan?" She asked in an uncertain voice.

There was no answer. She took that as her cue to continue.

"Um, my relationship hasn't been going very well. My boyfriend gets irritated with me a lot these days, and we usually end up fighting."

The girl elaborated more on her problem. Meanwhile her eyes surveyed the room. She noticed some framed pictures on the desk, all of them featuring a girl in her late teens with long black hair and grey eyes.

"...Uh...So, what should I do?"

Blank button eyes stared right back at her.

More silence.

"Oh my God, you're absolutely right! I should talk less! I always babble too much, that's probably what annoyed him! Thank you, Dr. Usa-chan!"

* * *

**Edit**- I forgot that one chapter note... (1)** Sapphic poetry** - Sappho was a greek lady who kept writing steamy poems to both boys and girls (but is more known for the latter). She lived on the isle of Lesbos, guess which term comes from there?...

**AN: **Well, that's it for now folks. No cliffhangers, see how merciful I am? ;P

Apparently I'm forbidden from judging my own work, so it's up to you! Hope you liked it!

Oh and seriously, I love all of your reviews. Most of them are hilarious! :D

**Anon. review replies-**

**Gin-tan - **You can flood as much as you want! :D It really does encourage me! And I like searching for signs too! ^^ Ehh, this chapter didn't have as much crack, but it did have some progress so I guess it's acceptable? xD Rrrrrespect for you too! I get too confused with string instruments...not to mention the fact that my hands are small. Yeah, somebody was in a huuuuge denial. Hopefully she's over it by now, eh? D;

**hateLuv - **Lol, I'm glad too that you survived. xD I'll give you a break from those nasty cliffhangers. Yeah, Yui is officially the QUEEN OF AIRHEADS! YuiAzu is on it's way, don't worry. There were some small hints in this chapter too. ;)

**m - **Oooh, I'm glad! xD And yeah, I agree. Yui's a risky choice as a psychologist. Unless you have Azusa there to translate. x) Yep, I guess you could say that reciprocation did occur here. :DD I'm a bit late for it to be a christmas/new year present so it's a ...uhh, February present? Valentines? Whatever... xD Yeah, you can demand all you want. x)

**zxcv - **HERE'S ANOTHER ONEEEEE! Late again. *sigh* And I'm glad you're glad! xD

**ewan - **Thank you! :D I'm not sure about the "even better" part though. ;p You play the flute too? Woohoo! *high fives back* And don't worry about the wandering eyes. I know mine do that all the time... xD

**1234 - **Ah yes, you were spot-on! :)

**mooooo - **I'm really glad you like it! Here you go! ;)

**nani - **More like frustrating... :DD But thank you very much!

**kuso - **A lot of people do that, don't they? :( I won't. ;)

**liquid paper says D - **Damn, I have no idea why I wrote what I did instead. Though I guess 'Give me...' works too. xD Anyway, thanks for telling me, I'll correct it!

**oooo - **If you think I'm slacking off again this time, don't hesitate to push meeee! Dx

**iMitsu - **MY GOD, ARE YOU ALIVE STILL? D: WAKE UP, WAKE UP! Here's a new chappie, don't die on me yet! :D

**Chii-chaaaaaan - **Dx It's here, Chii-chan(I am able to see through your anonymous disguise! ;D)! It's heeeeere! Forgive me!

**mnm - **Whew, you're right on time! XD Your wish is my command! ...And luckily I had the chapter done by then.


	11. Chapter 11

Hello!  
Remember the magic word?

ENJOOOOOY!

And also remember, don't take this seriously!

This is a filler chapter, of sorts. Next one will be their performance at the school festival!

* * *

Ritsu was stifling through the fridge for something to quench her hunger with when the front door opened.

"I'm back!" Mrs. Tainaka announced loudly.

"Welcome back!" Satoshi replied. Ritsu was too busy with her task to notice her mother's return. That is, until footsteps echoed behind her and a strange chuckle rang out.

"Hohoho."

The drummer turned around to regard the matriarch.

"What is it, mom?"

"Hohoho."

"...You're starting to creep me out."

The woman ignored her daughter's remark, and went on in a dramatic tone. "To think that after all these years I've never noticed! My my, such a bad mother I must be!"

Ritsu narrowed her eyes in suspicion. "Notice what?"

Mrs. Tainaka let a knowing grin cross her face. "The truth is that I did not arrive now."

"Eh?"

"Yes, you see, I parked on the other side of the street. And when I opened the trunk of the car, the lock basically went apart. I've been out there for a while, trying to fix it."

"Did you manage to?" Ritsu really had no clue where this was going to. Her mom was speaking in a strange tone, not the typical one you'd use when explaining what happened to you that day. There was a catch. A secret to be revealed!

"Yes. But it took me at least an hour. So what I'm saying is- I've been here, on the other side of the street, for an hour."

The drummer's eyes widened. An hour. An hour ago she was busy trying to keep Mio from running away with a _very satisfying_ method.

And her mom saw them!

"It's not what you think!" She blurted. "We were just...hugging real tightly!" _'Yeah, not even I'd believe that.'_

And obviously, neither did Mrs. Tainaka.

"Honey, I wasn't born yesterday-"

"A hug!"

"Is that what kids call it nowadays?"

Ritsu tried to protest, but the situation she was in hit her full force. Damn, not only did her mother catch her making out, she caught her making out _with a girl_. And though she knew her mom was very liberal with these sorts of issues, it's still a different matter when it's your own daughter.

She lowered her eyes, cautiously awaiting her mother's verdict.

Mrs. Tainaka took pity on her and lightly patted her daughter's head.

"Now now dear, don't act with me like that. You insult me." Ritsu looked up at that, and found herself on the receiving end of a warm smile.

"There's nothing to be ashamed of. Though I'm a bit disappointed I had to find it out this way."

That's it? Wow, coming out went easier than she had expected."...Uh, sorry?"

Mrs. Tainaka let out a loud, dramatic sigh.

"My my, who would've thought that you'd grow up to be a carpet muncher!"

"MOM!" Ritsu screeched, a hot blush erupting over her face like wildfire.

"Dear, you must embrace yourself and all the various terms that come with it."

"Seriously?! Carpet muncher?!" She couldn't believe this, it was too embarrassing. "Where did you hear that ...erm, term anyway?"

"I read it in one of Satoshi's teen magazines." Mrs. Tainaka beamed, proud of being a woman who tried to catch up with the new generation.

The drummer turned to Satoshi who had appeared in the doorway of the kitchen. He probably came to investigate what all the commotion was about.

The older sibling regarded him with raised eyebrows. "You read that crap?"

"No swearing!" The matriarch roared, just as Satoshi simultaneously shouted back with a red face "HEY! I just buy those for fun! They are FUNNY!"

"Uh huh." The two women deadpanned.

"You're the one to talk!" He snapped at his sister. "I saw you eyeing mom's make-up kit in the bathroom!"

Ritsu gasped. "I so did not!...And even if I did, I didn't actually use anything from there so shut up!"

Satoshi chuckled. "Of course not, you don't even know how to use those stuff. It would make things even worse!"

"That's it! Respect your sister!" The drummer roared, and caught him in a strong headlock.

"Who is this girl anyway? Do you have her number? I'd like to meet her sometime." It seemed that instead of being repulsed by the idea, the mother got all excited by the whole 'carpet muncher' issue.

"Mom! Put my mobile down!"

Mrs. Tainaka rifled through Ritsu's contacts.

"Look for the name Mio, mom!" The youngest Tainaka supplied helpfully.

"Satoshiiiiiiiiii!"

"Found it! Satoshi dear, hold back your sister while I handle this."

"Noooo!"

Ritsu's yell was to no avail. Her mum had already pressed the dial button, and was now holding up the mobile to her ear, waiting. The drummer would try and sabotage Mrs. Tainaka, of course, but Satoshi successfully managed to keep her away. He was already as tall as her, if not taller.

'_Boys and their sudden growth spurt.' _She fumed to herself. '_Oh God, I hope Mio doesn't freak out.'_

She really would hate it if everything went down the drain, just when her and the bassist have gotten together.

Mio, her girlfriend.

It was a foreign concept, but one that Ritsu was more than welcome to embrace. She just hoped her mother wouldn't screw everything up. In the meantime, she should focus on getting out of Satoshi's hold.

* * *

Mio was trying to mentally digest the events that had transpired not long ago. Everything seemed so surreal. It wasn't like her to act like that. In the middle of the street, no less! What if others saw them?

Scratch that, the whole band saw them. She was torn between anger and embarrassment.

The bassist let out a big sigh and sat down on the bed. Her fingers brushed against something soft. She lifted it up only to confirm that it was Usa-chan.

'_Well...it was worth it, hmm?'_ The tall girl smiled, lost in a daze as her thoughts centered more around the kiss...kisses. A soft blush swept over her face. She brushed her lips with her fingers, trying to recall what it felt like.

"Stupid Ritsu." She whispered to herself.

What a mess. And did they solve anything? Well, they were supposedly together now. And the bassist was very, very nervous about that, in a good way. But she also wanted more. She wanted to spend more time with Ritsu. She wanted to get to know her better, as if they had been childhood friends all along their lives. The black-haired girl wanted to explore this whole new level of intimacy with another person- not just in mind, but also in body. Her cheeks flushed.

Ahh, all this thinking was doing her no good. She was beginning to feel hot.

Mio was jolted out of her thoughts by a ringtone. She left Usa-chan on her desk as she reached her arm out to answer the phone, not bothering to check the caller ID.

"Hello?"

"_Mio-san?"_

"Yes, who is speaking?"

The tone on the other end grew excited _"Oh it really is you! I'm the mother of R-" "MOM! PUT IT DOWN!"_

The bassist lifted the phone a bit further away from her ear and eyed it warily. "Um, excuse me?"

She heard noises of what seemed to be a ...scuffle? And then a triumphant laugh. What was going on on the other end? _"Ha, I finally got it!"_

Wait a minute, Mio recognized that voice, it was-

"Ritsu?"

"_That's me!"_

"Just what were you doing?"

"_Oh you know, family issues. Hey Mio, watch out! There's a school of white dolphins behind you!"_

Mio shrieked. "Ritsu! You idiot! ...Why did you call in the first place?"

"_Well actually it was not me, it was_-" The bassist raised her eyebrows as it seemed like someone was making kissing sounds in the background. _"Oi mom! Cut that out!"_

"Um?"

On the other side, Ritsu let out a frustrated sigh. _"Ugh, my family's driving me crazy. Hey, can I come over?"_

Mio coughed. So soon? After they have done _that?_ Or more like _all those things?_

The hickey on her neck still burned. She traced a finger over it absent-mindedly.

"O-okay. Sure." Why did she agree?!

"Haa, you're the best! I'll be over in a sec! See you!" The line went dead.

'_You're the best.'_ Mio blushed like a schoolgirl, which she actually was. Though she knew she was getting worked up over nothing, after all, friends told each other that phrase often. And still...the tall girl couldn't help it.

'_It's not like we're friends anymore...we're a c-couple, right?'_

So maybe now they were going to do couple-y things? The bassist's mind was in overdrive, running through countless scenes she saw in her shoujo mangas. Will they...go on dates? Will Ritsu be romantic? Bring her roses?

'_Wait a minute, we're both girls.'_ Then should she be the one giving the roses? How are these things decided?

Her curiosity piqued, she switched on the computer and read various sources about the subject matter. She was still deeply immersed in it when the doorbell rang.

'_Must be Ritsu.' _

Mio headed to the front door and found that her mother had already opened it.

"Ah, it's Ritsu-chan! Would you like me to call Mio?"

"I'm here!" The bassist replied, and walked over to them.

"Excellent dear, will you be spending time togethe-"Mrs. Akiyama froze mid-sentence.

Her daughter gave her a questioning look. It took Mio some seconds to notice that her mother wasn't making eye contact with her, rather her gaze was focusing somewhere else. A bit lower than her face, slightly to the left-

Mio's face went white.

_'The hickey!'_

Ritsu also followed Mrs. Akiyama's eyes, then let out a slow, predatory grin.

"Whoa Mio, that's one massive hickey! Had some fun recently, didn't you?" She finished the question off with a blatant wink.

"It's not a hickey!" The bassist protested. "It's a- um- er-" _'Focus, focus!'_

"Yes?" Her mom prodded._  
_

'_-a bruise! Ritsu and I play rough sometimes!' _She definitely couldn't say that to her mother, even though it was the truth, kind of. She raked her imagination for ideas.

'_-a fake mark! I draw hickeys on myself with crayons when I'm bored!_' No no, that is more like something Yui would do.

'_-a blueberry! It fell onto my shoulder and exploded!'_

'_-Ton-chan's shadow!'_

'_-a...a...'_

"-a hickey." Mio finished lamely.

Akiyama Atsuko was shocked. "Since when do you have a boyfriend?"

Ritsu coughed. The bassist shot her a dark look.

Atsuko continued. "Why didn't you tell me? Even if you haven't introduced him, you should have at least said something. Is he a nice person? Does he treat you well?"

The drummer grinned. "Yeah Mio, is he a nice guy? I bet he must be cool. And funny. And hot. Yup, definitely someone hot. I can already picture the sheer awesomene-oof!" She was interrupted by Mio (and her elbow). The taller girl then turned to her mother.

'_Quick! Think, think!'_

"Mama I-I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier. We were together for a very short time. It doesn't matter anymore, because we've gone our separate ways. He had to leave to...to.. Irkutsk!"

_'How do I come up with these things?'_

"It does matter. I should've told you this sooner, but there are certain things I must inform you of before you enter a relationship. I'll tell you later today though, I wouldn't want to hold up Ritsu-chan."

'_No way, don't tell me mama wants to talk about-'_

"No need to trouble yourself, Akiyama-san! I'll just go ahead and wait in Mio's room!"

'_Traitor!'_

"That is very kind of you, Ritsu-chan. I'll try not to take too long."

"Mama, do we really have to go through this?"

Her question went ignored. "When a man and a woman love each other, there will come a time when they wish to ...get to know each other more thoroughly. Mama and papa also went through this of course, and our youthful passions bore the most beautiful treasure on earth, Mio. You."

That's it, there was no escape for the bassist._ 'Ritsuuuu I will kill you for this!'_

"It is one of the greatest gift of women, indeed, that we are able to bear children. A marvel in itself."

"Mama, I don't think I-"

"Of course, a woman cannot do this all by herself. She needs a little help. And by that, I mean that we need a man. A man, once ripened, will bear the juices of passion that will flow into a woman to create this miracle. This is a very delicate process, but I will explain it to you in detail-"

'_I'm not listening, I'm not listening!' _

And so, Mio suffered.

* * *

In the meantime, our short-haired heroine had gone upstairs to Mio's room.

"Hoho. She left her computer on! Let's see."

The bassist had obviously been checking out various definitions for 'lesbian'. There was a tab open with wikipedia's article, also many tabs with google searches, dictionaries, etc.

_'Tch, it's so like Mio to approach this in a brainy way.'_

Her curiosity piqued, Ritsu randomly chose a tab, and read out to herself the explanation she found there.

" A lesbian is a woman whose emotional, romantic, and sexual energies are geared towards other women."

'_Sexual energies_,_ huh?' _She snickered.

"Hmm, and what's this? 'Who should give the flowers?'. Sheesh Mio-chuan, you cannot learn love. You just have to feel it!...Ugh, that sounded so corny." She scratched her side.

The drummer kept rifling though the webpages, but soon got bored of browsing the net. Looks like Mio wasn't coming back anytime soon. Damn, Akiyama-san must be giving her one hell of a speech. Poor girl.

"Oh well! Time to check out these folders! What's this one? 'Houkago Tea Time at the café'?"

'_Could it be?' _Yui had once told Ritsu -before she joined the band- that the girls had to help out at a maid café the Kotobuki family owned.

'_Let's see if I can find any pics of Mio!'_

Oh yes, there definitely were pics. Ritsu fished around in her pocket for a tissue to stop the sudden nosebleed.

The bassist chose that moment to barge in, only to witness a picture of herself with a maid outfit covering the whole of the computer screen.

"Ritsuuuuu!" She roared. A fist rose into the air, ready to perform a falcon strike!

"Wait wait! Before you kill me, I just have one thing to confess."

Mio lowered her fist. "What is it?"

The smaller girl let loose a sly smile. "My sexual energies are geared towards you."

The bassist was torn between blushing furiously and delivering her delayed punch. She opted for the latter, giving a good knock on Ritsu's head.

"Ow! Is this how you try to express your arousal?"

"How can you be so..so.."

"Awesome? Irresistible?"

"So...stupid."

"Hey! I'll let you know, I take that as a compliment. It means I'm out of the ordinary, huh?"

Mio rolled her eyes, but at the same time she let a small smile grace her features. It didn't last long, however.

"You know," She started, irritation evident in her voice. "I still haven't forgiven you for making me listen through that speech."

"Oh right! You spent a good chunk of time down there! So, Mio-chuan, did _mama _enlighten you about the passions of youth? Why didn't you ask me instead? I thought I meant something to you!" The drummer put on a fake accusing expression.

The taller girl growled. "Enough games."

But Ritsu ignored her and went on with a slightly lowered voice. "I could've explained far better. And I wouldn't have taken so much time either. You see," Her eyelids dropped halfway as she leaned closer. "it's quite simple."

Mio's eyes widened at the abrupt shift in mood. But just a millisecond later her expression mirrored the other's. After all, a bassist cannot be a good team player if they can't follow the rhythm of a drummer.

She waited for the next move with a bated breath.

"All we need-" Mio could feel the other's heat now, just a little closer and! "-is you, and me. The rest will happen by itself." Ritsu finished, and closed the gap between them.

They took their time, changing the fervent tempo from earlier that day into leisurely caresses, exploring the new sensations. Mio buried her hand into the drummer's nape and stroked the soft hair there. In turn, Ritsu let out a thick purr of satisfaction.

It was slow, sweet kiss. Fit for a shoujo manga. The bassist almost expected to feel the softness of flying sakura petals around them. But the only softness around came from Ritsu's lips. And when she had that, she could care less about the sakura.

* * *

The next day the band reunited for much needed practice. Their school performance was nearing fast, and they still had to smooth out some things.

Not that they could focus too much on that anyway. Or to be more precise, they kept focusing on _another thing _instead of the music.

And no, not on the cakes and tea.

"Oi, what's with all the staring?" Ritsu was beginning to feel irritated.

"Well, aren't you and Mio-senpai together now?" Azusa started.

Yui nodded. "Yes, and couples do-"

"-certain things." Tsumugi finished calmly. Inwardly, the expectations were killing her. _'YES! YES! DO IT! PDA!'_

The implications made Mio's face light up like a Christmas tree. The drummer handled it better though. She was still irked by the pointed stares.

"Well," she put her hands on her hips "haven't you gotten enough yesterday?"

"No!" Mugi covered her mouth with both hands. "Erm..I mean..oh no! I'm sorry you got reminded of it again! Please forgive us for yesterday, Ricchan."

"Hmph. Fine." Ritsu turned around to adjust a cymbal, only to find herself face-to-face with Yui. She shrieked.

On the other hand, Yui still kept her fixed stare. "So?"

"So what?"

"You won't do stuff?"

"How about we practice instead!" The drummer yelled angrily.

Silence greeted her. If possible, now everyone was staring at Ritsu even more intensely. Mio included.

"Well? Aren't we a light music band?"

More silence.

Mugi was the first to break it.

"Um, Ricchan, are you feeling okay? Do you have a fever?" She went to the smaller girl and gently felt her forehead with a hand.

The bassist felt a pang of white hot jealousy. _'It should be me doing that!'_ "Mugi, could you please make us some tea? I'll handle Ritsu."

"What do you mean you'll handle me!?"

In the background Mugi skipped away happily, more than eager to let Mio 'handle' Ritsu.

"Sorry." Mio apologized."It's just that..I wanted to be the one. To- to check your fever." She admitted in a small voice, averting her eyes.

The drummer was caught off-guard. "Oh." She wasn't quite sure how to respond to such honesty, and she didn't like being left speechless and flustered. Like some idiot.

"A-Ahm. Go ahead."

The resulting touch on her forehead was tentative but pleasantly cool.

"Mio. Your hands are cold."

"Maybe it's your forehead that's too warm. Are you sure you're feeling okay?"

"No no, definitely your hands. Look." Ritsu grabbed Mio's hands to prove her point. She also noticed something else."Your fingertips are calloused."

"It's Elizabeth."

The drummer lifted a hand to her forehead."Mio-chuan, you wound me! We've only been together for what, a day? And you're already going around with other women!"

"Stop acting like an idiot." The bassist chided. "And you're the one to talk. You have callous palms." To demonstrate her point she drew a circle with her index finger on Ritsu's palm. The smaller girl felt a tingle run up her spine. She inhaled sharply.

Mio heard it, and raised an eyebrow in suspicion.

_'Ahh she's onto me. I can't get horny now! Quick! I must say something! Think Ritsu, think!'_

"Mio."

"Yes?"

"Don't look, but Frankenstein is behind you!"

The taller girl screamed. A few seconds later Ritsu was nursing a new bump on her forehead.

"Oww. Gentle as always."

Mio huffed. "You killed the mood! Anyway, are we going to practice or what?"

The two girls turned around to regard the others. Mugi, Yui and Azusa stared at them blankly from behind the couch with only their heads poking out.

"Thing's haven't changed at all." Azusa deadpanned, looking at the bump on the drummer's forehead.

"Shh! I sense an increase in affinity!" Yui whispered.

Ritsu's eyebrows drew together. "We're still here, you know. And Mugi, please stop filming us."

The blonde snapped her phone shut with an apologetic smile. "Sorry Ricchan. It was a sweet moment, and I felt the need to preserve it."

The drummer's eye ticked. "There was nothing sweet about it!" _'I am Tainaka Ritsu! Mush and sweetness, thou shan't be associated with me!'_

"There wasn't?" Asked a small, timid voice.

The sandy-haired girl groaned. "Not you too, Mio! Stop reading too many shoujo mangas!"

"It's better than wasting my time with video games!"

"Video games are good! They help improve your reaction time, not to mention the agility of your fingers!"

Mio and Azusa choked. "Stop being a pervert, Ritsu!" The bassist scolded.

"But Ricchan is right," Yui cut in. "unlike with Gitah, Muttan, Elizabeth and-" Yui cast a fixed stare at Tsumugi's keyboard.

"Sir Francis Bacon." The ojou-sama supplied helpfully.

"Ahh! So unlike with Gitah, Muttan, Elizabeth and Sir Francis Bacon, drums don't need much work with your fingers. I'm with Ricchan on this, she needs to improve her fingers somehow! And then later there will be more ways to have fun with Mio-chan!"

_'Did Yui-senpai mean that in the way I think she did?_' Azusa wondered with widened eyes.

"I knew I could count on you, Yui!" Ritsu cheered.

"Ricchan!"

"Yui!"

"Ricchaaaan!"

"Yuiiii-oof! Are you jealous, Akiyama-san?" The drummer asked in a sing-song voice.

"No! It's your aggravating stupidity!"

"Shh, you're right Mio-chuan, I should consider your feelings!"

"What? Well...yes..."

"Yes! So I will include you in the game too!"

"Ricchan, you're cheating on me!" Yui yelled in fake agony.

"Forgive thy comrade, Yui! But this is an important matter! Mio!"

"What is it?" The bassist asked suspiciously.

"No, no. You're supposed to yell back my name!"

"...What?"

"Mioooo!"

"Idiot."

"No! You're doing it wrong. Say 'Ritsuuuuuu!'. Mioooo!"

"If you think I'm going to do that, you're-"

"Miooo!"

"You can't be seriou-"

"Miooooo!"

Mio was starting to get angry.

"Mioooooo!"

"RITSU! Shut up already!"

"Haha, see? Wasn't that hard!"

Realizing she had been tricked, the bassist let out a growl."Why you little-!"

Yui stared at Ritsu sprinting around the studio being chased by Mio. She then turned to the twin tailed kouhai.

"Azunyan?"

"What is it, Yui-senpai?"

"Ricchan cheated on me."

"Then cheat her back." She replied, not really paying attention to what Yui said. There was no chance of understanding the eccentric thought flow of a Hirasawa. Azusa shivered as she wondered how Yui's parents might be like.

"Azunyan, you're a genius!"

"Mmhmm."

"Azunyan!"

Azusa raised both eyebrows. "...Yui-senpai."

"Yay! We did it!"

"Did what?" _'Uh oh, here we go again. Nonsensical logic á la Yui-senpai.'_ The kouhai thought.

"I cheated on Ricchan with you!" The smaller girl choked upon hearing that.

"We did no such thing!" Azusa protested with a red face.

The studio was a bit chaotic, with Ritsu still trying to escape Mio's lethal fist and Azusa trying to convince Yui heatedly that there was no cheating nonsense going on. Amidst all these occurences, Tsumugi decided to faint. There was too much Yuri Tension going around.

She landed with a soft thud on the sofa. The rest stopped what they were doing and worriedly hurried to the keyboardist.

"Mugi-senpai!" "Mugi-chan?" "Oi, Mugiii!" "Mugi? What happened?"

"Maybe we should just lay her down properly and wait till she wakes up." Ritsu suggested. They did just that, then sat on the floor next to the sofa, watching Mugi's form attentively.

"Look! She's smiling!" Azusa noted.

"Maybe she's having a nice dream?" Yui supplied.

* * *

Tsumugi blinked her eyes. Oh, had she fallen asleep? Where was everyone?

_'Maybe they didn't want to wake me up and left after practice ended? But it's strange that they haven't even left me a note.'_ She thought, crestfallen. The keyboardist also noted that there was something strange in the air, but she couldn't quite pinpoint what it was.

_'I feel...bolder. As if I could do anything.'_

How strange. Mugi reminded herself to ask the butler if any of their teas or cakes have gone over their expiration date. She just hoped her friends wouldn't be affected when something like that turned out to be the case.

Suddenly, the door to the studio opened and in walked the two guitarists, setting down their cases next to the wall.

"Ahh, Azusa-chan, Yui-chan! I thought you all have left already."

The smaller girl regarded her curiously. "Left? Practice is only starting!"

"My my, it seems that my nap had taken much longer than I thought...but I don't even feel that refreshed." Mugi mumbled to herself.

"Is everything alright, Mugi-senpai?"

"Oh, of course! I'm just a bit disoriented. Please do go on and set up your guitars."

"Alright."

They tuned in their instruments. Afterwards, Azusa tried to persuade Yui to do some warm-up exercises on her guitar, but as expected, the brunette kept refusing with a dozen of ridiculous excuses.

"Azunyaaaan, have mercy!"

"And why should I?"

"Because it's Friday!"

"...So what? The resting day is Sunday. Or both days of the weekend, but not Friday!"

"But but it's in the name! On Fry Day, you fry food! Like takoyaki or yakitori or okonomiyaki-"

"Ugh! I can't deal with this anymore!"

"With what?" Yui asked worriedly. "You have a problem, Azunyan?"

"_YOU_ are the problem!"

"Meanie~ Hey, let's play cheerleading! I saw a movie yesterday where they did that, and it looked so fun!"

"We are supposed to practice!"

"I think it sounds like a fun idea!"

"Ahh Mugi-senpai, not you too!"

"Yay Mugi-chan! Okay, I'll start! Listen to meee!"

The keyboardist let a determined expression cross her face. Her bushy eyebrows drew together, and her lips pouted slightly. Even Azusa seemed to give in, mirroring the blonde's expression.

Yui ran over to get two pillows from the couch, then struck a pose.

"Give me a B!"

"B!" The other two girls yelled in unison.

"Give me a W!"

"W!"

The brunette jumped to the left. "Give me an S!"

Tsumugi and Azusa also skipped to the side. "S!"

"And give me an R! What do you get?"

"BWSR!" The blonde girl tried to yell out the solution, but ended up blowing a big raspberry in the process. Their kouhai merely shook her head in confusion.

"Yui-senpai, that doesn't make sense."

"It does! The correct answer is Birmingham West Suburban Railwaaaaay! Haaa!"

"What? Where did you hear _that_?"

"Ehe, mom made me watch a documentary about it. She loves trains! Choo choo!"

'_Just as I thought.'_ Azusa mused. _'Her mother must be even crazier.'_

"Anyway, I'm sorry Azunyan, but Mugi at least tried to pronounce it! So it's her turn now!"

"A-ah, may I really?" The keyboardist asked hopefully. Her eyes were shining brightly with excitement.

"Of course!" Yui handed over the pillows.

Tsumugi lifted both of them into the air. "OK! Here I go! Give me a Y!"

"Y!" They chorused.

She skipped shyly to the right. "Give me a U!"

"UUU!"

Then another skip to the left. "Give me an R!"

"R!"

She then raised both hands. "Now the last one! Give me an I!"

"I!"

"What do you get?"

Yui had a flash of realization cross her face. "IT'S MY NAME!"

"No it isn't!" Azusa shouted, agitated.

"What else could it be, Azunyan? Don't be jealous." The brunette gently patted the head of the smaller girl.

"It was not your name, it was yuri! Y-U-R-I!" '_Come to think of it...why yuri?' _Azusa wondered.

"Yuriiiiii? I think you have misheard, Azunyan! You have a dirty, dirty mind!"

Mugi tried to interject softly. "Um it really was yu-"

"It was yuri, you idiot! Yuri!"

"What? I can't think I hear you, Azunyan!" The guitarist asked with a big grin on her face.

"YURI! Yuriyuriyuriyuriiiiiiii!"

The brunette lifted up her arms in a surrendering gesture. "Ok, ok. No need to yell, I can hear you, you know?"

Azusa let out an angry shriek.

"You are so annoying, Yuri-senpai!"

There was silence. The twin tailed girl gasped after realizing what she had said and covered her mouth with both hands. Mugi beamed quietly in the background whilst Yui bore a huge grin.

"Is that my new nickname?"

"Oh, shut up! I'm not in the mood."

"Not in the mood for Yuri, you say?" The brunette shot back with a laugh.

"Yui-senpai, stop! Mugi-senpai, please wake up!"

Mugi shot her a questioning look. "Wha-?"

* * *

"Oh, you finally woke up!" Yui exclaimed.

Mugi blinked a few times, not quite understanding the situation."What happened?"

Mio was the one to explain. "You fainted, and we were worried for you, but you had seemingly fallen asleep so we decided to let you be. We've been waiting for you to wake up."

The blonde felt embarrassed. "Oh, sorry to worry you."

"Nonsense!" Ritsu yelled energetically. "The main point is that you're awake and alright!"

The bassist nodded. She then noticed something strange on Yui. "Hey Yui, what's that mark on your neck?"

All eyes flew to the guitarist, who gave them a sheepish grin. "Ahh, this? Mugi-chan took her time in waking up, so I drew a hickey on my neck with crayons! I do that when I'm bored."

_'I knew it!'_ Mio thought triumphantly.

"But Mio-chan, what is on _your_ neck?" The brunette asked back.

"A-ah. That. It's a ...umm..I..I also like to draw with crayons on my neck!"

"Really? Yay!"

Ritsu circled the black-haired girl. "Reeaaally, Akiyama-san? I never would've pegged you as that type. I thought you would only settle for _the real thing_ instead of some cheap copy."

"S-Shut up! I'll hit you!"

"There is only one way to know if it's fake or real!" The drummer boomed.

Yui jumped up enthusiastically. "Oh oh, I know, I know! We have to dump Mio-chan in water! If she drowns, it's a fake hickey! If she floats, it's a real hickey!"

The bassist was horrified. "Where did you learn that method?"

"In history class! This is how we know if someone's a witch or not!"

"I'm not a witch!"

"Well no, but I thought it would work for this too! Noww...where's some water..." The brunette's eyes traveled around the studio, finally resting on Ton-chan's tank.

Mio followed her gaze. "Yui! Don't you dare!"

"No, Yui!" Ritsu shook her head. "She won't fit in there!"

"Of course I won't-"

"She's too fat!"

"RITSUUU!"

"Um...what is all the fuss about? We clearly saw Ritsu-senpai give Mio-senpai that hickey." Azusa stated.

Tears welled up in Mio's eyes. "Azusaaaa!"

"Ahh sorry, Mio-senpai! We didn't see anything!"

"But of course we did! And how spectacular it was!" Mugi sighed happily. "Who wants some tea? Now now, Mio-chan, don't be like that."

"Yeah, even my mom saw us." The drummer added.

"Whaaaaat!?" The black-haired girl fainted.

* * *

OMAKE

It was a slow, sweet kiss. Fit for a shoujo manga. The bassist almost expected to feel the softness of flying sakura petals around them.

'_Wait a minute!_' She _did _feel those sakura petals!

Mio broke the kiss and looked around. Sure enough, there were droplets of pink petals floating about. Even their lovely fragrance could be felt.

Ritsu sneezed as one landed on her nose. "What the hell!"

"Look, they're coming in from the window!"

"Wait a minute, isn't that...Mugi?!"

Sure enough, the tree branch next to Mio's window was occupied by Tsumugi-ojousama in a camouflage suit. She waved at them cheerfully, trying to hide the plastic bag full of sakura petals behind her.

"Ohayou Ricchan, Mio-chan! A splendid day for tree-climbing, isn't it?"

* * *

**AN:** I love you all. Seriously. Your reviews crack me up, and I hope I could return the favour with this new chapter!

You are entitled to scold me! It has been a long time, after all...


End file.
